The Photo Album
by chemister
Summary: Annabeth stays at Percy's place, and then accidentally discovers a photo album full of memories. But before that happens, she and Percy waltz with a group of fireflies, babysit for a neighbor, are handcuffed while strolling in Central Park, kiss while water rains down on them, which happens two times, and—wait. Why was Aphrodite spying on them? /Set before TLH. (Revising)
1. Annabeth and I Watch a Movie

**Summary: Annabeth stays at Percy's place, and then accidentally discovers a photo album full of memories. But before that happens, she and Percy waltz with a group of fireflies, babysit for a neighbor, are handcuffed while strolling in Central Park, kiss while water rains down on them, which happens two times, and—wait. Why was Aphrodite spying on them? Set before _The Lost Hero._**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_. How I wish I was Rick Riordan, eh?**

**A/N (June 5, 2014): Happy Birthday, Uncle Rick! :))  
>Anyway, I'm currently revising this story. But still, I hope you enjoy reading <em>The Photo Album<em>!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: Annabeth and I Watch a Movie<span>

**Day 1**

My mom was practically walking around the kitchen, looking worried. "Percy, don't forget what I told you. There's pasta inside the fridge. Just reheat it using the microwave. The canned goods are inside the cupboard, but if you just want to order, I left enough money for you. Just look inside your drawer. You'll find the hot lines near the telephone and—"

"Mom!" I held her shoulders, making her stop in her tracks. "I already memorized every word you said. You repeated them five times already, and even wrote them on a paper and placed it on the fridge. I promise I'll be careful and will lock the doors before I go to sleep. You and Paul will be late now," I said. Typical Mom. But I understood her concern. Being a half-blood was _not_ easy, anyway.

She exhaled audibly. "Just making sure, honey. Oh, and if you're lonely, call Annabeth and—"

"Mom!"

"Oh, okay." She gave me a hug. "Be careful, Percy, all right?"

I smiled in assurance. "You, too, Mom."

Paul appeared at the doorway. "The taxi's here, Sally."

I walked with Mom to the driveway where the taxi was waiting for the passengers. It was a sunny day—perfect for vacation.

They both got inside the vehicle.

"Be careful, Percy," Paul said. "Don't let the monsters attract you."

"I hope so," I told him with a grin. "Take care and have fun!"

"You, too, Percy, especially when Annabeth's around. 'Bye!" He winked.

I gave him a confused look before the taxi drove away, then waved at the disappearing car.

Where were they going? Paul won two tickets to a three-day cruise at the Atlantic. He said he won the tickets at a department store promo and insisted that he'd buy a ticket for me so that the three of us would be together, but I declined nicely his offer. The two of them deserved some moments together. I prayed to my dad, Poseidon, that he'd keep my mom and Paul safe from harm.

I entered our apartment and went to the living room when the phone rang suddenly.

"Jackson residence. Who's speaking?" I answered. Maybe it was Mrs. Roberts, our neighbor to the right, again to ask if I was free to take care of her dozen cats while she'd go to the grocery store.

"_Hi, Percy, it's Annabeth. Did Paul and Sally _leave already?" __she asked on the opposite line.

Thank the gods it wasn't Mrs. Roberts! "Hey, Wise Girl. Yeah, a few minutes ago. You called at the right time. Are you free today?"

"_Yes. Want me to come over there? I just finished my sketch of the west side of Olympus. It's fantastic! I'll show it to you some other time."_

After we defeated Kronos' Army, Annabeth became the official architect of Olympus, and was currently staying here in New York to study in a school and to observe the improvements of her works at the home of the Olympian gods.

I beamed. "Sure! Thanks. Can't wait to see it."

"_I'll be there in thirty minutes. 'Bye."_

"'Bye," I said, then she hung up.

_After thirty minutes_ . . .

There was a knock at the front door, and I opened it. Annabeth was standing there, wearing a simple color pink T-shirt, and jeans. I blushed. She was really beautiful, even with just wearing simple clothes.

She crossed her arms in a demanding position. "Seaweed Brain, are you just going to let me stand here and wait for me to melt in this heat?"

I blinked. "Yes. I mean, _no_! S-sorry," I replied sheepishly, stepped aside, then gestured for her to come in.

When Annabeth reached the hallway, she turned to me and said with a raised eyebrow, "Well?"

"Erm, you look nice."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No, Seaweed Brain. I meant, what are the activities for today?"

"Oh, right. Want to watch a movie?"

"Fine with me," Annabeth said as she went to my mom's CD collection in the living room. I followed her. She looked at the titles and picked one. "How about this one, _Chasing Liberty_?"

"Is it a romance film?" I asked with disgust in my voice.

"Judging from the cover, yes."

I groaned. The last thing I wanted to do was to watch that kind of stuff. "Please, not a romance movie."

She thought about it, then gave a shrug. "This is also really not my cup of tea, so okay."

I sighed in relief. Watching romance films would literally kill me. It was like looking directly into Medusa's eyes! I shuddered inwardly at the thought, remembering when Annabeth, Grover and I did our first quest.

She continued checking the titles, then exclaimed, "Oh, my gods! You have_ Bridge to Terabithia_! Let's watch this! I only read the book, and it was _so_ good. And no, Percy, this is not a love story. It's about friendship and overcoming one's trials in life, so you should be fine. Don't worry. I'll not give you any spoilers," she told me.

When did she read the book, I have no idea. But I sighed in defeat. "You're the boss. Wait, I'll just order a pizza. Ham and cheese?"

Annabeth nodded. "Ham and cheese."

_After an hour and many minutes_ . . .

The credits were rolling, but we were still sitting on the couch.

Annabeth sobbed. "I also did this after I read the book. The story could really move your heart."

This didn't seem like the Annabeth I got to know. She rarely showed her weaknesses to people. Being a great boyfriend, I gave her a tissue, and then she rubbed her nose with it. I must admit that I got teary-eyed myself. The story was really depressing and heartwarming at the same time. But I also cried for another reason.

"Annabeth?" I turned to her.

"What?" she asked with a hoarse voice.

"What if you died in that battle? Maybe I'd feel the same way like Jesse did."

Annabeth looked at me with puffy eyes from crying. "Oh, Percy, don't think like that. What happened in the book and in the movie was indeed a tragedy. Thank the gods that—"

A lightning flashed, then it was followed by a thunder. She hugged me desperately, and I did the same thing to her.

She sniffed with a forced laugh. "Sorry. I was just surprised by the thunder."

"Hey, it's okay." I rubbed her back, and then she cried freely now. I thought that maybe she remembered what happened to Luke, but I didn't question her about this.

"Percy, what if I really died in that battle?"

I looked directly into her gray eyes. "Then I would never have a sweet girlfriend like you." I kissed her passionately, and she did the same thing.

We broke apart for air after a moment. "And I'd never have a sweet boyfriend like you," Annabeth said.

We smiled at each other while I was wiping her cheek with my hand, then hugged.

After a moment of silence, we removed ourselves from the hug. "I should go now, Percy," said Annabeth, "before it—"

Then it started raining cats and dogs.

"But it was sunny a while ago," I complained.

"Apollo hates it when his brightness is covered by dark clouds," she said with a know-it-all tone. "And I didn't bring my umbrella. Just great."

"I think you should stay here for a while until—"

Another thunder boomed, and then the lights went out.


	2. Annabeth and I with a Lightsaber

Chapter 2: Annabeth and I with a Lightsaber

"Double great," Annabeth mumbled sarcastically while munching her pizza.

I grinned. "Gods, Wise Girl, where are your manners?"

I could feel she was giving me her so-called death glare, which I didn't mind at the moment. "Whatever, Seaweed Brain. Anyway, don't you have some candles or a flashlight?"

"Mom doesn't keep any candles here, but we have matches," I answered. "As for the flashlight, it's on the desk beside the front door. I'll get it."

I already memorized the interior of the apartment and where the tables were, so it was impossible I'd trip or fall or something. What? You were hoping that I'd trip? Gods, what's with your imaginations?

I reached the front door and used my hands to look for the flashlight. Within seconds, I was already holding it, then turned it on.

"_ZZZZZZHHHHIIIINNNNGGGGGGG!_"

"Percy, what are you doing?"

I choked on air.

Annabeth was standing five steps from me. I didn't notice her presence. Heck, I didn't see her coming, either! Oh, right. There was currently a blackout.

"Oh. Er, holding the flashlight like a lightsaber . . . ? You know, from the _Star Wars_ movies," I answered sheepishly. "_ZZZZHHHHIIINNNGGGG!_"

She rolled her eyes. "Your head is full of kelp, as usual."

We chortled at that.

"So," I said after the laughing subsided, "you didn't do this stuff when you were little?"

"I wouldn't do something stupid like what you're doing right now. Though my dad is a Star Wars freak." Annabeth took the flashlight from me, and then pointed the beam at the clock near the television, making her eyes widen.

"Oh, my gods! It's near eight, and it's still raining hard! I was planning to continue my sketches this eve—"

"Hold it, Annabeth!" I put my arms around her, gazing down into her eyes. "Why don't you just chill for a while? You're doing that stuff 24/7 non-stop, I'm sure. You need to take a rest."

"But—"

"No buts," I cut her off. "And you can't go out in this kind of weather. You'll just end up with a fever if you do that, and then you can't continue with your drawings. Do you like that?" I reasoned.

Annabeth shook her head slightly, hating the moment that she couldn't argue with me, which rarely happened.

I smiled at her. "It's settled, then. You're free to sleep here if you want to."

She let out a sigh of defeat. "Since when did you become this sensitive?"

I gave her a look of mock surprise. "Annabeth, you're so cruel!"

She punched me in the arm, and then smiled. "But seriously, Percy, thanks."

"You are always welcome," I told her casually.

We sat again on the couch to finish our pizza. But, after a few minutes, the flashlight flickered.

"Triple great! This is _so _not my day," Annabeth complained in frustration. "Percy, do you have extra batteries?"

"I think none. We don't really prepare for blackouts. Annabeth, you don't have to be scared, and there are no spid—"

"Just stop! And I am _not_ scared! I'm just not a fan of the dark, okay?"

"Hmmm-mmmm."

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain. I need to go to the bathroom. Where is it?" she asked in a hurry.

"At the left side. Not too far from here."

Annabeth stood up, then went to the given direction, but stopped. "Percy, come with me," she demanded.

Now, now, what was she saying? "But I thought you weren't afraid of the dark?" I teased.

I was sure she turned to me. "Duh, Percy, that wasn't the reason! The batteries of the flashlight just died, and of course I can't see in this kind darkness," she urged. "And I need your help to guide me so that I wouldn't bump onto any things here. Hurry!"

"Oh, right." Though I guessed she was just scared that she'd step on any spiders along the way, which was possible. I went with her, then stopped when we were in front of the bathroom.

"Stay there." And then she went inside and locked the door. The rain was getting thinner by the second. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Annabeth, let's go to the mini park now. It's just around the corner," I told her as she finished with whatever she was doing inside the bathroom.

She thought for a second, looking out the window. "Well, since it's not raining anymore, and the electricity isn't back yet, sure."

"Let me get you a jacket. Wait here." I went to my bedroom, wore my jacket, and brought another one for Annabeth. I also brought something that I was sure it would make her happy.


	3. Annabeth and I Dance with the Fireflies

Chapter 3: Annabeth and I Dance with the Fireflies

"Are we there yet, Percy?" asked Annabeth as I held her hand to guide her toward the park. After we left the apartment, I made her cover her eyes using a handkerchief. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't press on.

"Not yet, Wise Girl," I answered gleefully.

"This better be good, Seaweed Brain," she murmured flatly.

The electricity wasn't back yet. Thank the gods. The view at the park would be wonderful without the city lights. Just the moon and stars shining brightly, and . . . ah, I'll just tell you later.

Everything was wet because of the heavy rain a while ago, but I had no problem with it.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached our destination. I already memorized the place, so there was no problem if we'd stumble or fall. Good! There were no people around. Drops of rain still sparkled on the foliage. I guided her to my favorite spot and bench inside the park, which was facing a small, clean pond.

After we sat on the bench, I took the handkerchief from Annabeth. Her eyes widened.

I spread my arms. "Ta-dah! Behold, my favorite spot inside the park!"

First, she looked at our surroundings, at me, then at our surroundings again. Second, she became speechless, for her mouth was formed like an "o." We were surrounded by fireflies. _Many_ fireflies. Their lights were sparkling all over the place.

Seeing her in this kind of situation, I guffawed out loud. "Annabeth, I think this is the first time you became like this," I said after my laughter subsided.

She quickly closed her mouth and slapped my arm. "Very funny, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth scowled.

I grinned. "So, what can you say about this?"

Annabeth gazed at the still pond, touched the firefly that was near her face, and smiled. "This is very wonderful, Percy. To tell you the truth, this is the first time that I saw a firefly." The little creature flew off to join the other group of fireflies. Her gray eyes were now looking directly at the bright, night sky, and her face was so cute. She sighed. "I wish I could see this every night."

I thanked Artemis for making the moon very bright tonight. And then, I had another idea. I held Annabeth's hand, which was so smooth, despite the hours she was working together with the pencil. I wondered what her secret was.

"C'mon, Wise Girl, stand up," I told her.

Annabeth gave me a confused look. "Huh?"

"Just stand," I urged.

When we were already standing, I bowed and held my hand right in front of her. "May I have this dance?" I asked with suave.

Annabeth smiled while rolling her eyes. "Your head is full of kelp, as always." She accepted my hand.

I put my right hand on her hip, and then Annabeth placed her left hand on my shoulder.

We started dancing and listening to the crickets' sounds, which were very relaxing.

"Remember when we were at Westover Hall? That was our first dance," Annabeth started.

"Gods, that was so embarrassing! You were, like, about to judo throw me when you held my hand."

She giggled. "And you kept stepping on my toes." Her giggle was like music to my ears.

Scratch that. It really _was_ music to my ears.

Both of us laughed, remembering those moments. The fireflies were also having a dance of their own, too. Then Annabeth hugged me, and I hugged her back. The feeling was heartwarming to the core.

"Thank you so much, Percy. I'll never forget this night," she whispered in my ear.

"You're always welcome, Annabeth. Same here," I whispered back.

We continued to dance in silence, enjoying and cherishing the moment. It was like I didn't want anything to disturb us.

After a minute or two, Annabeth broke the silence. "Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

I pulled back slightly from the hug, and looked directly in her beaming gray eyes. That was when I noticed her blonde hair was shining under the moonlight. I put a strand of it behind her ear, and smiled. "I love you too, Annabeth. So much."

I kissed her with passion, and she did the same thing. Her arms were now behind my neck, while my arms were wrapped around her waist. We did that for a minute before breaking apart for air, and then we smiled sweetly at each other.

"I brought something," I said as we sat again on the bench and fished that something out from my pocket.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked, excitement in her voice.

"Here we go!" I held a digital camera. "Let's take a picture together."

She beamed. "Good thinking, Percy."

"What are you saying, that I'm not thinking properly?" I asked, frowning.

Annabeth laughed. "Of course not! I'm just happy that you thought of bringing a camera. This will be our souvenir." She looked around. "No wonder this is your favorite spot—you're facing a pond."

"You got that right. Whenever I wanted to be alone and think clearly, I just sit here and enjoy the view. It makes me feel that I'm near the sea." I turned to her. "And I wanted to surprise you."

"You surprised me, all right. Thank you for sharing this place with me. Now, turn on that camera."

I positioned it in front of our faces, and said, "Say cheese!"

_Click!_

000

When we arrived at the apartment, it was already midnight, but thankfully, the electricity was now back.

"Want to have a midnight snack?" I asked Annabeth.

She waved a dismissing hand. "No, thanks. I'm already tired. Where should I sleep, Percy?"

After she asked that question, I suddenly became nervous, and I didn't know why. "Oh, er, at my room. I'll just take the sofa here and—"

"We can sleep together if you want to," she whispered. I was sure a blush formed on her face.

My legs were now shaking. "B-but . . . w-what if . . . " my voice trailed off.

Annabeth's eyes widened in shock. "Percy, you're not thinking about _that_, are you?"

"What _that_?" I didn't understand her.

Her eyes rolled. "Don't play dumb with me, Seaweed Brain."

"But I'm not playing!" I protested.

But Annabeth continued like she didn't hear me. "You know what I'm talking about. We're not yet married, and our parents will surely kil—"

Now I understood her, and I wasn't thinking about that kind of stuff. I was thinking about my problem in sleeping, which I knew she'd deduce sooner or later. "Yes. I mean, _no_! I'm not talking about _that_! Oh, my gods, Annabeth! I didn't know you had it in you!"

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest in a demanding position. "Then what?" She searched my troubling eyes, and then smirked. "If you mean you talking in your sleep, I already know that since we were twelve years old."

My face became blank, and Annabeth became silent. Suddenly, she started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh gods, Percy! Until now? You really are _so_ easy-to-read."

I hated it whenever she did that: reading my eyes like an open book. One time, she even told me that I didn't have a good poker face. Go figure.

It was my turn to roll eyes. "Shheeesshhh, Annabeth."

Her eyes still showed mirth. "It's just that when I first saw you—"

I cleared my throat. "Been there, done that. Now, we should go to sleep."

"Can I borrow some of your mom's clothes?"

"Sure, go ahead."

000

When I was already sitting on my bed, wearing my pajamas, I looked at the shots when we were at the park. Annabeth and I smiling, doing a wacky pose, Annabeth surrounded by fireflies, me sitting on the bench, the night sky, the park, and many more pictures that we took. I thanked the gods for having this beautiful day with her. I just wanted to make her happy and free her from stress.

I was distracted from my thoughts when Annabeth came inside. I caught my breath. She was wearing my mom's nightgown: a light blue color with butterflies printed on the side and a ribbon. She looked strikingly beautiful, with her hair down to her back.

I immediately turned to the lamp beside my bed. "Y-you look . . . gorgeous." I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, and I could see she was blushing. I believe I was doing the same thing, too.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," she answered. I wasn't offended, though, because knowing Annabeth, she was just shy. "You look good in a pajama, by the way."

I gazed down. didn't know I looked good in a pajama outfit. My sheepishly smile appeared out of nowhere. "Well, let's go to sleep, then," I said as I tumbled on my pillow. Annabeth slid next to me.

"Thank you so much, Percy," she said while smiling at me.

"I thank you, too, Annabeth." I hugged her gently.

"Good night, Percy."

I kissed her forehead. "Good night, Annabeth."

My lips formed a smile before I fell asleep.


	4. Annabeth and I Are Going Shopping

Chapter 4: Annabeth and I Are Going Shopping

**Day 2**

I dreamed something great. I couldn't remember exactly what it was all about, but it had something to do with Annabeth.

Annabeth? Why couldn't I feel her presence anymore?

That was when I opened my sleepy eyes grudgingly. I was already hugging a pillow and not my Wise Girl anymore. The sun was already shining with radiance that I couldn't hold the heat any longer. Excluding on Sunday mornings, you could now hear the honks of the cars because of the heavy traffic.

Just your typical morning in New York City.

I got up and yawned. I also smelled pancakes being cooked. Where was that coming from? Was she the one who was . . . ?

I first went to the bathroom to prepare myself, and then to the kitchen. Annabeth was indeed the one who was cooking pancakes—her back facing in front of me and still wearing my mother's nightgown. She was humming "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, one of her favorites (which I didn't believe at first), because she said it was a song about us. She also liked "Designer Skyline" by Owl City, because she could relate to the song.

Wait. Annabeth _could_ cook?

I tiptoed toward her, covered her eyes with my hands, and then kissed her head.

"So, the Seaweed Sleepyhead is now fully awake," Annabeth started.

"Is that my new nickname? I didn't know you can cook," I told her, releasing her eyes.

She faced me. "Well, when you're living on your own, cooking is one of the ways to survive, so my stepmother taught me how to cook different recipes before I started living here in New York. She said that I learned quickly and this was really important, especially after we get married. Of course, being a child of Athena, I—"

My stomach growled loudly. "Whoopsie."

Annabeth gave a melodic laugh and went back to cooking. "Why don't you just sit there and prepare the table? The pancakes will be done in a jiffy."

"_What's the magic wooord?_" I sang loudly.

I could feel she rolled her eyes. "_Please_, Seaweed Brain."

After the table was made, Annabeth put the plate of pancakes and sat at the other side. She looked a little nervous. Why would she be, anyway? She already said that she was now good with this stuff. This was so unlike her.

Girls are so weird. No offense to all the girls out there.

"You first, Percy," she began.

"Why me? Ladies first," I countered.

"Just do it, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth snapped.

Sighing in defeat, I said, "Okay, then."

I put a pancake on my plate, and then placed honey on top of it. I sliced a piece using my fork, then ate it. My eyes widened.

"How's the taste?" asked Annabeth nervously. Her face looked cute in that kind of state, but I couldn't hold the suspense any longer.

"This is great, Annabeth!" I exclaimed as I munched more of the pancake. "You could really taste the sweetness inside. With the help of the honey, of course. But still, this is awesome!"

Her eyes beamed with pride. "Really? And I thought you wouldn't like it. Sorry the color isn't blue. I couldn't find the food coloring."

"It's okay. But you could've woken me up to ask."

"I didn't have the heart to do so."

"Whnnot?" I asked between munches.

"Because you looked cute," she smirked, "while drooling in your sleep."

I pouted. So I _did_ drool in my sleep again, huh?

She laughed. "Hey, don't give me that look! And don't talk when your mouth is full, Percy."

"I couldn't help it. It's like it was Mom who cooked the pancake." I looked into her stunning gray eyes, and smiled. "Thanks, Annabeth."

She met my green eyes, and grinned widely. "You're welcome, Percy." And then she started eating her pancake. "So, what's the plan for today?"

I thought for a minute. "How about we go to the mall later to develop last night's shots? We still don't have classes, anyway, so we have to make the best of it."

"Fine with me. But I have a problem."

"What?" I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"I don't have anything to wear," she responded.

"That's all right. You can borrow again some of my mother's clothes. I think she has some outfits that fit your size."

Annabeth looked embarrassed. "Sally wouldn't mind?"

I finished my pancake. Now why would she think that way? "Of course not! You're Annabeth Chase! If she knew you borrowed some of her clothes, I'm sure she'd tackle you with a great, big hug." I smiled wistfully. "Typical Mom."

She looked at the nightgown. "Your mother is really sexy."

I grinned at her with a wink. "And so is my sweet and hot girlfriend."

Annabeth smiled, rolled her eyes, and muttered something, like "boys" before finishing her pancake.

Girls are so weird. Did I mention that already?

000

When we were already at the photo station inside the mall, the lady at the main counter said that we'd have to wait for three hours to get the newly developed pictures, because they had so many customers today, but it wasn't a problem for us. The lady thanked us, and then attended another customer.

"Where do you want to go, Wise Girl?" I questioned Annabeth when we were already walking away from the photo station. She was wearing my mother's orange blouse, and a blue skinny jeans. It suited her perfectly, hugging her curves. Many guys kept looking at her direction, awe plastered on their faces. I saw a guy who was slapped on the cheek by his girlfriend, hard.

Ouch!

"How about the bookstore? I might as well buy another book about architecture," she replied excitedly.

You know Annabeth, she really loved that stuff.

"Sure! Anything for my sexy girlfriend." I put my arm on her shoulders, sending the guys a mental message: _Back off! She's mine!_

Annabeth turned to me. "You look hot yourself. What's with the sudden affection, Seaweed Brain?" she asked teasingly.

"Many guys keep looking at you, and I don't like it," I admitted. Who would like that, anyway?

"How sweet. Seaweed Brain is jealous." She looked around. "So I noticed. The girls are also doing the same thing to you."

"I don't care about them." I gazed at her directly in the eyes. "I only care about you."

Annabeth swatted me in the arm. But before she faced away, I saw her smile with a faint blush.

Inside the bookstore, Annabeth kept walking around the shelves, her eyes beaming. "Oh, my gods! This is the newest issue of _The Architecture_! And there's _Houses and Pillars_ and _Brand New Building Blocks _and—"

"Hold your horses, Annabeth," I interrupted while pointing at the books and magazines she was carrying. "Don't tell me you're going to buy _all_ of those."

She was carrying _three_ architecture books and _five _architecture magazines. Gods, I'd die if I were going to read all of that stuff.

Annabeth put them on the floor, looked inside her wallet, and then closed it. "Okay, not all. Only one, for now." She returned the others on their respective places.

I read the title of the only book she was carrying now. The words were rumbled, thanks to my dyslexia. I looked closer, and after a moment, it formed: GREATEST BUILDINGS THIS 2010.

_Okay_, I thought. _That's boring._

"Seriously, Annabeth, you don't find books like that hard to read?" I asked her in terror.

"At first," she replied nonchalantly. "But if you keep reading and practicing, it's not that hard anymore. And I'm proud to say that I already read many books—fiction and non-fiction."

I would have a migraine if I did that.

After Annabeth paid for the book, my mother called on my cell phone. Yes, I have one, even Annabeth. Just in case of emergencies, mind you.

"_Percy, dear, how are you doing?"_ Mom asked.

"Great, Mom. How about you and Paul?" I replied.

"_We're having fun, dear. I hope you were with us today."_

"Mom, I wanted for you two to relax from your work. By the way, I'm with Annabeth at the mall right now. She even slept at our apartment last night because there was this rain—"

Mom screamed, and I pushed the phone away from my ear. It wasn't an angry scream, but a joyful scream. Wait. What did that mean? I turned to Annabeth for an answer. She just shrugged in return.

I was horrified. "W-what happened, Mom?"

I heard her say on the opposite line, _"Did you hear that, Paul? They slept together!"_

"Erm, Mom . . ."

"_Oh, I'm sorry, Percy. I'm just happy that my wish came true."_

"What wish? We didn't do anything bad . . ." I suddenly remembered Annabeth wearing Mom's nightgown.

Oh, gods.

"_I know, honey. I just found the scene cute."_

"Oh," I replied awkwardly. I was sure I was blushing furiously, even Annabeth.

"_Can I talk to Annabeth for a minute, Percy?"_

"Er, sure."

I gave the phone to Annabeth.

"Hello, Sally," Annabeth said in her most professional way of talking. She looked at me, then mouthed _stay there _before moving many steps away from me.

Girls are so . . . never mind.

Many minutes had passed when Annabeth came back and gave the phone back to me. "Your mother is still on the line."

I put it beside my ear. "Mom."

_"Take care, Percy. And you take care of Annabeth, you hear?"_ Her tone seemed excited.

"You, too, Mom. And say 'hi' to Paul for us."

"_I will, honey. 'Bye!" _And then the line went dead. Don't get me wrong, I really missed my mother, but the conversation was just plain . . . weird.

Annabeth also seemed excited, like her battle plan would work out excellently.

There was something fishy going on here.

I gave her a confused look. "What?"

She hooked her arms around mine, pulling me with her. "C'mon, Seaweed Brain, let's go shopping!"


	5. Annabeth and I Are Grocery Shopping

Chapter 5: Annabeth and I Are Grocery Shopping

I knew it! There really _was_ something fishy going on, and Annabeth was pulling me way _too_ hard. I needed to find out what their conversation was all about. I was really curious, after all.

"So," I started, doing my best to stay nonchalant, "what did Mom tell you?"

"If you're worrying about what she thought of last night, I already explained the situation perfectly," she answered without looking back at me.

"Was that all?"

"Yes, Percy."

Okay. And they talked for, like, more than ten minutes. Annabeth was definitely hiding something from me. Surely, that wasn't the only topic they talked about. My curiosity was killing me.

"But—"

She glared at me. "Don't ask any more questions, Seaweed Brain."

I rolled my eyes in response, but from the look on her face before she turned away, she was kind of excited. What was so exciting about shopping, anyway? It was for girls and not included in my To-do List.

We were already at the front of the department store, but Annabeth just kept walking.

"Um, Annabeth," I pointed to the department store's entrance, "the department store is that way."

She ignored me and continued dragging me along to where she was going.

_Nice talking to you, Wise Girl, _I thought sarcastically.

000

When we were already at the . . . Wait. Why were we here?

"Annabeth?"

"Yes, Percy?"

"What are we doing here?"

"We are going to shop, silly," she replied with an eye roll.

I gaped at her. I thought we were going shopping.

Annabeth laughed. "_Grocery shopping_, Percy. What? Clothes are not the only things to buy. That's why we're here at the mall's _supermarket_. We'll buy ingredients for our dinner later."

I closed my mouth. "Then why didn't you tell me? Did Mom plan this?"

She put a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, yeah. She asked if I could cook and, of course, I replied yes. Your mom requested that I should cook dinner for you, because she told me that you cooked once, and then the result was—"

"A disaster," I broke in. "Ugh. Mom should _not _share that stuff with you. It's so embarrassing."

"But it was entertaining, especially when you were still a baby—"

I covered my ears with my hands like a spoiled child. "Blah! Blah! Blah!"

Mom told many stories of me when I was still a baby to Annabeth, mostly the embarrassing ones. Trust me, you don't want to hear about them.

She rolled her eyes with a smile plastered on her face. "You look stupid, Seaweed Brain; acting like a child."

I stuck my tongue out and removed my hands from my ears. I really should ask Annabeth's dad some day if she had some embarrassing moments when she was still a baby, just for payback.

"How many money did you bring?" she suddenly asked.

I counted the money inside my wallet, then told her.

Annabeth thought about it. "Hmmm, it's just enough for a . . . Percy, please get a basket," she ordered as we entered the entrance of the supermarket.

I got a basket from the basket area, and then returned to her. She was really taking this seriously. Her face looked like she was concentrating on one of her blueprints, which was so gorgeous.

"I got it!" she exclaimed. "First, let's go to the chicken section."

I just shrugged. I never went with Mom to a supermarket, even when I was young.

Go figure.

She put a kilo of boneless chicken breast in the basket when we were already at the chicken section, wrapped in cellophane, of course. Oh, and I was the one who was holding the basket, mind.

"What are you planning to cook, Wise Girl?" I asked her in curiosity.

She smirked. "Figure it out, Seaweed Brain."

I pouted. "Do I have to?"

"If you really want to know, yes. The chicken is your first clue," she replied casually.

A groan came out from my mouth. She was teasing me! And I hated it whenever she did that. "But there are, like, a gajillion chicken recipes!"

Annabeth shrugged. "Then say all the chicken recipes you know. Let's go to the pasta section for your next clue."

That was how it was going to be, huh? "What will be my reward if I answered your mini game correctly?" I whispered quietly in her ear. I felt her skin tingle.

"Something you will definitely like," she whispered back.

I grinned. "Race you to the pasta section?"

"You really do have a seaweed brain." Then she pushed me and started running toward the rendezvous point.

Did I mention that I was the one holding the basket? Good thing I caught my balance. "Not fair, Wise Girl!" I shouted at her, then started running.

She looked back at me with an innocent smile. "Nuh-uh."

Many shoppers were giving us weird faces, like we just got out from an asylum. I didn't care, though. I heard an old woman say, "Look, Bob—we're like that when we were still young. Such a cute couple."

After a moment of running around, Annabeth reached the pasta section first. "Well, I won. How was that, Seaweed Brain?" she asked when I was already standing next to her with a beaming look.

"You cheated!" I retorted while gasping for air.

"You didn't give any rules, so you can't call it cheating," she shot back.

"Whatever, Wise Girl."

We looked at each other, and then laughed out loud, not caring about the other shoppers and crew of the supermarket.

"Gods, that was so humiliating!" Annabeth exclaimed, still giggling. I'd always be in awe of her whenever she'd giggle in front of me, because she rarely did that.

I grinned at her. "Not for me. I had fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't be humiliated. You have a thick face!"

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth tapped a finger on my nose.

I smiled at her. I was glad that she was having fun. I kissed her forehead. "What's the next clue, Wise Girl?"

She got a pack of multi-colored pasta from a rack. "This." And then put it in the basket.

My eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know any recipes with pasta and chicken, except if you're not going to combine them."

"Then you will not receive your reward," she said while walking toward the canned goods section.

I followed her dejectedly. "Oh."

"Except . . ."

"Except what?" I asked excitedly.

Annabeth got a can cream of chicken soup, and put in in the basket. ". . . if you help me cook."

"B-but . . . I can't—"

She crossed her arms. "I'll just teach you the basics, Percy. You're over acting again."

"Is that so?" I smirked, put the basket on the floor, and then tickled her in the ribs.

Annabeth started laughing like crazy. "P-Percy—enough! We're—in—a public—place!"

I stopped immediately. Annabeth breathed in and out, and then she glared at me. "What in Hades was that for?" she demanded.

"Nothing," I said gleefully.

"You're head is full of kelp," she retorted.

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain. Let's get some spices."

000

"Not fair, Percy! You bumped me five times already!" Annabeth said. After we did grocery shopping, I said that we'd go to the mall's Fun Zone to kill some time, since it was still early and we were still full because of the pancakes. We left our belongings at the baggage counter and decided we would first try the bump cars. I even paid for her ticket, because she won the "race" a while ago.

"Is it my fault that I'm already good at bump cars?" I teased, cackling.

Annabeth went straight to me, but I quickly gave a sharp turn, so she missed. She was riding a red bump car while mine was a blue one. The bump car arena was wide, and there were even disco lights all over the place. "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha was playing somewhere in the background.

"Argh! What the heck is wrong with this thing?" Annabeth complained. "The red wire should be connected to the—"

A guy riding an orange car bumped her, then said, "Sorry, miss. Wrong target."

I laughed. "Where are your wits now, Wise Girl?"

She gave me her death glare, and then went straight toward me again, which I easily dodged, so she bumped another car. Again. "Ugh! I think this car is broken!"

I turned and went toward her, but Annabeth quickly did a reverse, so I bumped two cars instead.

I was trapped.

"Gotcha!"

_Bump!_

Annabeth bumped my car at the back. "Finally!" she whooped, like she just finished a blueprint of hers.

I gave her a mock clap. "Congratulations, Annabeth!"

And with that, our time inside the bump car arena was up. We removed our seat belts.

"That was it? Just when I was getting the hang of it, and I only bumped you once," she complained with a frown.

"At least you now know how to ride a bump car properly," I encouraged.

"I should think of a better strategy next time," she mumbled.

Typical Annabeth.

The Fun Zone was like a carnival itself. There were many rides, booths, and arcade games here. The place reminded me of the Lotus Casino.

"Where's our next destination?" I asked her.

"How about that one?" She pointed to a haunted mansion booth.

It looked like a real haunted mansion—with all the peeling paint, spooky decorations, and dusty windows. I even heard screams and thunder coming from that place for dramatic sound effects.

"Er, are you sure, Annabeth?"

"Why, Percy, are you scared?" she teased.

"Scared? Of course not. Why would I be?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I just want to see what's inside a so-called haunted mansion. And besides, what could be scarier than monsters? Oh, er, don't include the gods."

I gulped nervously. "Y-yeah. You're right."

The truth was, I had no idea what was inside of a haunted mansion, except for ghosts (which weren't real), cobwebs, and that kind of stuff. I was sure that there were still more. I was just curious as Annabeth was.

After we paid for the entrance fee, I saw a signboard at the left side that said:

_Welcome to the Haunted Mansion._

_Beware of ghosts and spiders._

_Enter at your own risk._

And then we entered the mansion.

Spiders.

Oops. Too late.

My face was trying hard not to grin.

This would totally be a fun experience.


	6. Annabeth and I Are Inside a Haunted Mans

Chapter 6: Annabeth and I Are Inside a Haunted Mansion

"I didn't know that it's so boring inside a haunted house or mansion," Annabeth started as we walked along the corridors. "Their ghosts don't look realistic, and the sound effects are lame, but the look of the building and furniture are nice."

You could hear the usual music background for a haunted house: thunders booming, some "awooos," and Dracula's evil laughter inside. They weren't lame for me, though. Scary portraits were displayed on the walls, and we heard a girl scream at the top of her lungs at the other side of the corridor. I think it was the couple that got inside before us.

"What can you say about that?" I questioned my girlfriend.

The yellow lights at the ceiling were blinking. "Over reacting," she answered with a yawn. "I mean, would you really scream like that if you saw a ghost that's not even real? How pathetic."

I grinned wickedly. "What about if it's not a ghost?"

She narrowed her eyes, but it didn't affect me. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know what I mean, Wise Girl."

"Well, sorry. I don't."

Speaking of what-about-if-it-wasn't-a-ghost, something was lowered down behind her.

Uh-oh.

"Erm, Annabeth, don't look behind you. Let's just keep going, okay?" I said uneasily.

She smirked. "Why, Percy, because there's a ghost lingering behind me? I'm not scared of a dummy ghost."

But I still tried to warn her. "Wait, don't—"

Annabeth turned around, and I was cut off by a very loud scream. It was a giant tarantula dummy that was lowered on her back, though I guessed she didn't know it wasn't real. She had beaten the scream earlier, or maybe because I was near her.

I felt sorry for the guy's ears.

She put her hands on her face with a horrified look. "P-PERCY, I-IT'S A T-TARANTU—AHHH!"

Annabeth quickly held my hand, and dragged me to the other side while I was trying hard not to laugh. I wished I still had the camera's memory card to picture her current state, but thought better of it when I realized what she could do to me if I did that.

I was her boyfriend, but she could still give me harm whenever she wanted to.

The two of us were already in a corner when we stopped running, and then Annabeth hugged me desperately, her face pale. I hugged her back, and could feel her trembling with fear.

"It's fine now," I soothed as I drew circles on her back.

After a moment, her breathing was back to normal. "Was that really a tarantula?" Annabeth clarified.

I looked at Annabeth directly in her eyes. "Yeah. A tarantula _dummy_."

She blinked. "A Tarantula dummy . . . ?" she echoed.

I suddenly gave a guffaw. "Of course, Annabeth! You said it yourself, remember? That all things here are _not_ real. You should've seen the look on your face!"

Her hands were now running through her hair in frustration. "Oh, gods! I can't believe I did that! And what's worse was that I thought only stupid plastic ghosts were around here!"

"It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, anyway. And you looked cute, too. If only I still had the memory card, I would've taken a picture of you right now," I teased, grinning.

Annabeth gazed at me with deadly eyes.

I raised my hands in surrender with a gulp. "J-just kidding."

She was now looking at me with a mischievous face. I suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

"W-what?" I questioned, nervous.

"Nothing, Seaweed Brain. Let's try another ride in The Fun Zone, shall we?" she asked slyly.

I gulped again nervously. This wasn't the Annabeth I knew.

000

"Annabeth, are you sure this is safe?" I asked hesitantly as we were already ascending on the roller coaster. I couldn't sit straight, and we were sitting at the _front_ row.

_Dad, help me._

"Of course, Percy. It's like riding a Pegasus. This will be fun! Don't puke afterwards, though," she said teasingly.

To tell you the truth, this was my first time riding a roller coaster. I gave her a confused look. "Wait, what?"

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain. Just brace yourself!"

I should've listened to her piece of advice. We were already descending when I screamed. A manly scream, mind. I was just caught off guard, okay? I think you get the picture. The people behind us were also screaming to the max.

The speed, the cold wind on my face, the exhilaration of swift turns and sudden dives were all combined to fill me with surprising joy. I was now laughing heartily.

"It seems like the seaweed brain is having fun," Annabeth said aloud. She, too, was laughing.

I grinned at her. "I am, Wise Girl!"

"Here comes the loop!" exclaimed Annabeth.

Everything turned upside down, and then everything was right again. We passed by some shops and other rides into a wild rush of motion. Minutes had passed when our ride was already over. Annabeth and I balanced ourselves as we hit the floor.

"_That_, has got to be one of the coolest things I've ever experienced," I stated with a smile so wide plastered on my face.

Annabeth guffawed. "Geez. And I thought that you'd hate roller coasters."

I rolled my eyes. "You got your laugh. But riding on a Pegasus is _way_ cooler than roller coasters."

"Right." She checked her watch. "There's still more time left, Percy. We should try the arcades."

"Let's do it!"

There were many games that we tried: the mini basketball, _Pac-Man _(Mr. D's all-time favorite arcade game), shooting games, and so much more.

We really enjoyed each other's company. We felt free from stress. I was really glad that Annabeth was having so much fun.

After many minutes, she checked her watch again. "It's time to get the pictures and our belongings, Percy."

"Oh. Time flies so fast," I said dejectedly.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Before we head home to your apartment, can we go to my place first?"

"Sure. But why?"

Annabeth smiled slightly. "I need to get something."


	7. Annabeth and I Cook Dinner

Chapter 7: Annabeth and I Cook Dinner

After we got our belongings and the pictures, we went to Annabeth's place. It was a simple apartment with yellow walls.

As we entered the small living room, I saw a picture of the two of us after we won the chariot race when we were thirteen years old on a table. I didn't know she also had a copy of it.

"So," I started, putting my hands inside the pockets of my jeans, "what's the thing you wanted to get?"

"Wait a minute." She dashed inside her room while I was pacing around. I couldn't wait to give my surprise present to Annabeth. It wasn't her birthday or something; I just wanted to give her an item that would always be remembered. I already had the pictures and—

"Done!"

I turned to her, and saw that she was shouldering a backpack. I raised an eyebrow. "What's that for?"

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Well, since you don't have company in your apartment, I want to spend time with you, Seaweed Brain. I'm going to stay there for another night."

I was sure I saw a blushed formed on her face, and I was also sure I did that, too. "My girlfriend is so sweet," I said as I kissed her lightly on the lips. "But what about your blueprints?"

Annabeth giggled, which I wanted to see and hear every day. "Oh, they could wait. Talking about blueprints . . ." She then dragged me to her well-organized bedroom. It contained a single bed, a poster of the Parthenon pinned on the wall, and a chair in front of her study desk full of charts and blueprints with a study lamp. Annabeth got one, then held it in front of me. "What do you think?"

The drawing was much like the Parthenon, but only more beautiful, because she added some designs on the pillars and such. I was never a fan of architecture, but this one made me speechless. It really looked real and superb, and there were no mistakes on the lines.

It was professionally drawn.

"Wow," I breathed in amazement.

Annabeth's eyes beamed. "You like it?"

I took the blueprint from her. "Of course I like it, Annabeth. It's really detailed, and I bet the gods would really like your works. I mean, who wouldn't?"

She smiled at me with pride. "I know that there are no errors. Thanks, Percy."

I gave her a crooked smile. "I'm so proud of you."

Annabeth kissed me on the cheek. "And I'm also proud of you. But that doesn't mean you won't help me in my cooking later."

My smile vanished instantly. "Er, yeah, right."

I totally forgot about that.

000

"Percy, I'm going to cook a chicken noodle soup," Annabeth began as we headed to the apartment's kitchen, carrying the grocery bags. "It's good for the health."

It was almost evening when we arrived. It'd be delicious if I wasn't going to help her. I groaned and could already imagine what Annabeth would tell my mom.

_And he didn't slice the chickens properly. I said to cut them into bits! Even the pasta wasn't edible enough. And the worst, Sally, was that the cooking pot exploded . . ._

She saw my expression, and then smirked. "Trust me, Seaweed Brain, I'm not going to story this to your mom._ If_ you're _not _going to fail, that is."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. You win, Wise Girl. So, what do I have to do? Don't blame me if something explodes."

Annabeth laughed while putting a large, heavy-bottomed pot on the stove that she found inside the kitchen cabinet. "Nothing will explode if you just follow my instructions. And besides, all you have to do is to mince the onions."

I blinked in surprise. "That's all?"

"Yes."

"I mean, really, just _slice_?"

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Percy."

I gave a sigh of relief, then said, "Let's do this!"

000

I shouldn't have talked in the first place. My eyes were already watering as I was mincing the onions. "Gods."

Annabeth, who was at the other side, was cutting the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. "Aw, Percy's crying."

I wiped some of the tears in my eyes using my arm. "Of course I am. I didn't know onions could make you cry when you're slicing them. All I know was that vampires hate them."

Then realization hit me. I looked at her with eyes narrowed. "Wait. You planned this all along, didn't you? You didn't want to slice the onions in the first place because of its effect!"

She just shrugged nonchalantly. "Athena always has a plan. Here." Annabeth threw something at my direction. I caught it using my left hand easily.

My brows furrowed. "What should I do with a bubblegum?"

I could feel Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Common sense, Seaweed Brain."

"That's not what I meant. This isn't onion-flavored, is it?"

She laughed. "Now where can you get an onion-flavored bubblegum?"

Grinning, I told her, "From the Stoll brothers." And then I plopped the gum into my mouth.

Mint flavor.

I didn't know where this was going while I was chewing the gum, but then Annabeth suddenly said, "Just continue slicing, Percy."

After a while, my eyes weren't watering anymore, and they widened. I turned to her. "Is this crying-resistant?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Of course not. I read in a did-you-know book that when you're slicing onions while chewing a gum, it'll resist the watering of your eyes."

"Oh. I'm sorry I didn't know that, Miss Know-It-All."

She threw something hard on my head. "Ouch!"

"Sorry," Annabeth said, not sounding sorry at all.

_Poke._

An onion hit her head. "Percy!" Annabeth yelled, and then she chased me while holding a knife in her hand.

_Hades' gym shorts!_

"You are _so_ gonna pay for that, Percy!"

We rounded the table, and I was laughing so hard. After a while, Annabeth was also doing the same thing. I dashed to her, then hugged her by the waist.

"Let go, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth shrieked.

I raised my eyebrows. "Not until you put that knife down, Wise Girl."

She pouted as she put the knife on the table. "There. Happy?"

I took this as an advantage to kiss her lips. Annabeth didn't respond at first, but when I was about to pull away, she leaned in and put her arms around my neck.

After a minute, we gasped for air. She smiled shyly at me, and said, "You still have your bubblegum in your mouth, Seaweed Brain."

I ran a hand through my wild, black hair, and then smiled sheepishly. "Er, I forgot about that."

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she let go of me. Rolling her eyes was really her number one hobby to date. "Anyway, are you already finished with the onions?"

I gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am."

"Give them to me, then. And listen as I cook this soup. I'm sure that this will be important for you someday."

I didn't know why this would be important, but I tried to listen to her lecture. Gods, it was like I was back in school listening to a strict teacher.

She said something like, _heat the oil . . . wait until the crushed garlics are golden brown . . . add the chicken . . . pour the can of cream . . . the pasta . . . Percy, are you still listening to me?_

Thirty minutes had passed when Annabeth's chicken noodle soup was done. She tasted it first, then asked me, "Did you learn something?"

I knew this was coming, so I racked my brain to remember. "Um, for a more flavorful soup, use chicken stock instead of plain water . . . ?" Whatever that was.

She nodded, seeming satisfied with my answer. "We should eat this while it's still hot."

After I prepared the table, we were already eating the soup. Annabeth looked at me as I was helping myself a spoonful.

Frowning a little, I asked, "What's the matter, Annabeth?"

She looked around, then asked,"How does it taste?"

Was she nervous again? It wasn't common to see her in this kind of state.

I looked into her eyes with an honest smile. "Annabeth, you're one of the best cooks I know, so don't doubt anymore, okay?"

Annabeth blushed, her eyes beaming, and then concentrated on her soup.

000

We sat on the couch at the living room after dinner, talking about what was going on in camp, our friends, and the prophecy, until she asked, "Can I see the pictures, Percy?"

"Sure." I went to my room, got the pictures, came back to the living room, and then handed them to Annabeth.

She suddenly laughed her head off. "Gods, look at your face here! You look so stupid!" Annabeth gave me the picture: I was looking at the starry sky with my eyes wide open.

"But it's called _wacky_!" I defended.

"Whatever."

I smiled mischievously. When she saw my face, Annabeth was about to say something, but I suddenly started tickling her on the waist, where her ticklish spot was. She laughed hysterically. "This is—the second time—today, Seaweed Brain!"

Then, I pushed Annabeth down on the sofa, making me on top of her. We stared at each other before I kissed her passionately on the lips. She responded immediately, and her hand was playing on my hair while the other was on my neck.

I laughed softly on her lips. She pulled away and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," I said as I buried my face in her natural, curly hair. Mmm, strawberry-flavored shampoo.

Annabeth moved her hands to my back. "Percy?"

"Yeah?" I asked in a muffled voice.

"What are you going to do with the pictures?"

I feared this would happen, so I had already thought an idea in advance for this. "Er, you know, just for remembrance."

"I know that. I mean, well, it's not like you to do that kind of stuff."

"Oh."

A few minutes of silence passed after she asked, "Are you going to give it to someone?"

I looked at her, hoping that my face didn't look like I was lying. "S-something like that." Dam! I stammered a little.

"To whom?" I could hear a hint of excitement in her voice.

"To my mom," I lied. _Please don't let her notice!_

"Ah. That's nice," Annabeth said simply.

"Y-yeah." I couldn't tell her yet.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Go and wash the dishes now."

I groaned, "Right."

**Day 3**

The next morning, we ate cereals with a cup of coffee. Annabeth said that we should go to Central Park this afternoon, because the weather looked pleasant for an afternoon walk.

"And besides," she said while holding her cup of coffee, "it's boring here. We should exercise while I read the new book I bought—"

The doorbell rang, cutting Annabeth off. She glared daggers to the door while I went to it, chuckling lightly.

Who could this be?

I opened the door, and was face-to-face with a beautiful woman with long, black hair, smiling.

"Hi, Percy."


	8. Annabeth and I Are Babysitting

Chapter 8: Annabeth and I Are Babysitting

I sensed Annabeth rushed to the small living room as I opened the door, wondering who the visitor was, no doubt.

I smiled brightly at the beautiful woman standing right in front of me. "Hi, Cynthia!"

"Percy, darling!" Cynthia gave me her so-called power hug.

"Er . . . Cynthia . . . can't breathe," I managed to choke out.

She released me from the hug. "Oh, sorry, darling. So, how are you these past few days?"

"Great," I said, beaming. "How about you?"

Before she could answer, Annabeth interrupted her. "Percy, who is she?" There was a dangerous edge in her voice.

I turned to her with a comforting smile. "Oh, right. Annabeth, this is Mrs. Cynthia Smith, our neighbor." I faced Cynthia again. "Cynthia, this is Annabeth, my girlfriend and best friend at the same time."

"Oh," Annabeth said in a low voice.

Cynthia smiled at her. "Hi, darling. Is she the Annabeth that Sally and Paul were always talking about, Percy?"

I nodded in response, then turned to Annabeth with a playful wink.

She blushed slightly, and I was still amazed that I could get a reaction from her even with just my simple gestures.

"Please come here. And for your information, I'm already married, and my husband and I have a son," Cynthia added.

Annabeth gaped as she went to her. "Hello to you, too. I heard the 'Mrs.' part, but you look so young, like Sally!" she exclaimed.

Cynthia giggled. "We always get that compliment, Sally and I. Well, the two of us have the same age, and we always go to spa together." She examined her, and then hugged her. "She's magnificent, darling. When are you two getting married?" she added when she released Annabeth from the hug.

Annabeth and I blushed furiously when we heard the word "married." I imagined we were in Mt. Olympus—with all the wedding outfits, decorations and gifts. Aphrodite was singing in joy, and Poseidon and Athena were crying happily. All of the demigods at Camp Half-Blood were invited, and then Zeus was—

I heard Cynthia's laughter in the background, bringing me back to reality.

"Look at you two with those red and dreamy faces," she said cheerfully.

I blushed again, then turned to Annabeth with a look of disbelief. "You, too?"

She replied with a glare, "Don't ask, Seaweed Brain."

Cynthia clasped her hands together. "Anyway, good timing your girlfriend is here, Percy. I have favor to ask the both of you darlings. And no, I'm in a hurry. Thanks," she added when I indicated for her to go inside.

"What is it?" asked Annabeth and I in unison.

"Would you mind to take care of my baby, Lance? I need to go somewhere, and my husband is away. No one could take care of him while I'm gone."

"You mean, babysit?" the two of us verified at the same time.

"Yes. Don't worry, though," said Cynthia. "I'll be back this evening. And it'll be a wonderful exercise for the two of you, since you'll be having a baby in the near future, yes?"

We blushed for the third time, but Annabeth said, "Of course we don't mind, Mrs. Smith. We'll take care of your baby."

She nudged me on the ribs. "Er, yeah, we'll take care of Lance," I replied sheepishly.

"Great!" Cynthia said brightly. "Oh, and Annabeth, just call me Cynthia. Wait a minute." She went back to her apartment in a rush.

"She also said that to me when I called her Mrs. Smith the first time," I shared with Annabeth. "Said she doesn't want any formalities."

"And I thought she was still a teenager," Annabeth said, dumbfounded. "Well, judging from her looks and all."

I turned to her, smirking. "You were jealous a while ago, weren't you?"

She did an eye roll. "_Jealous_? _Me_? Who are you kid—"

Annabeth was interrupted for the second time when Cynthia returned, carrying her baby. "Here he is. Lancie, this is your sister Annabeth. And do you remember your brother Percy?"

Annabeth's eyes twinkled as she pinched Lance's cheeks. "Hi, Lance. Aren't you a cutie?"

I ruffled his hair. The baby had his mother's black hair, and, by the color of his eyes (which were gray), he got it from his father. "Hey again, Lance."

Annabeth carried him. "Gutchie gutchie goo!"

Lance laughed and clapped his hands in the air. This was unusual that I saw Annabeth like this—carrying a baby and all.

"Aww, he likes you, darling," Cynthia said while wiping a tear from her eye dramatically. "I'm just happy to see you two with my Lancie."

"We're also happy to be with Lance," I said while pinching lightly his nose.

"Thank you, darlings. He's two years old, so he already knows how to walk. I highly suggest you two take him to Central Park," she said while looking at her watch. "I need to get going now. I'm sure that you'll take care of him. Well, I'm off. Be a good boy, Lance." Cynthia kissed Lance's forehead.

"'Bye and take care, Cynthia," Annabeth and I said at the same time.

She waved at us, and then left swiftly.

I closed the door, then turned to Annabeth. I wasn't that good with babies, to be honest, so I'd have to rely on her judgment. "What now, Wise Girl?"

She was still carrying Lance. "Let's do what Cynthia suggested. And I told you while we were eating breakfast that we should go to Central Park."

I suddenly had an idea. Another picture taking would be great. "Let's go!"

000

It was a perfect afternoon as the three of us were strolling inside Central Park. Annabeth held Lance's right hand while I held the other. There were many children with their parents having fun. Others were biking. There were also couples having a picnic. We saw two violinists practicing their musical piece.

Annabeth and I were talking about where we should eat this afternoon when Lance released my hand, and then pointed to the violinists while jumping up and down. "Goder!"

I gave Annabeth a confused look. "What's he trying to say?"

She gave me a flat look. "Isn't it obvious? Lance wants us to go there. C'mon."

As we neared the violinists, they stopped playing to look properly at us.

"Hello," the male violinist said with a smile.

The female violinist looked at Lance. "Oh, he's so cute! Your child?" she queried. "Well, the black hair and gray eyes . . ."

Annabeth and I looked at each other, then at Lance, who was jumping all around. Oh, my gods! People would think that Lance was our baby!

"N-no," I stuttered. "We're just b-babysitting for our neighbor."

Annabeth nodded immediately. "What he said."

Lance was clapping his hands. "Music . . . good!"

"Was that Edgar's 'Salut d'Amour'?" I asked, regaining my composure after a moment.

"Yeah," the male violinist said. "Perfect weather to play that piece."

"I didn't know you like classical music," said Annabeth.

"Well," I responded, "Paul always plays that kind of stuff using a music player in our apartment. They're great."

"Of course they're great. Most of the famous musicians are a child of Apollo. Look at Mozart, Bach, and Perlman."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"Play . . . more!" Lance whined.

The two violinists gave us confused looks, making sure that they heard what Annabeth said correctly, but dismissed the idea immediately when Lance whimpered.

"Since you three like classical music, we'll play another one," said the female violinist with a wink.

They positioned themselves, and then started stroking the bow on the strings of the violin. Many people were now crowding around us, listening to the beautiful, calming music.

Annabeth closed her eyes, and whispered, "Pachelbel's 'Canon in D.'"

I also closed my eyes and held her hand.

After the music ended, the audience was applauding loudly. Even Lance cried joyfully while jumping up and down. "Weeeee!"

"Thank you, thank you!" the two violinists said with a grateful bow.

000

(Third person point of view)

Meanwhile . . .

"Yes, Sally. They finished listening to the violinists and are now sitting on a bench while eating ice cream," Cynthia said, her phone beside her ear.

"_Do they look like a real family?"_ asked Sally.

Cynthia grinned. "Oh, yes. They're gorgeous! The three of them look so cute together. But, of course, my husband, Lancie and I look cuter than them."

Sally laughed at the other line. _"Stalk them while you can. I want to know the full details when we return. I hope I can see them personally. Can you take a picture of them and send it to my phone?"_

"Of course, if I can get closer to them without knowing my real identity, that is."

"_You're wearing your perfect disguise, I believe."_

"Of course I am," Cynthia said, grinning. "Say, are we continuing the plans?"

"_Of course," _replied Sally._ "I'm sure you'll do it perfectly. Oh, you didn't lie to them, did you?"_

"Hi-hi. Don't forget, we're talking about Cynthia Smith here—great in disguising and acting. And of course I didn't lie to them. I told them that I needed to go somewhere, and here I am, stalking them. It wasn't lying or anything, right?"

"_Yes. I'm sure the gods, especially Aphrodite, will be with you."_

Cynthia looked flabbergasted. "Huh?"

"_Oh, nothing," _she added hastily, _"'Bye for now, Cynthia."_

"'Bye, Sally. I'll call you again later. Say hi to Paul for me." Then Cynthia pressed the end-call button with a sly grin. "Operation 'Percy and Annabeth to Act like a Family' will now begin!"


	9. Annabeth and I Join an Event

Chapter 9: Annabeth and I Join an Event

"Er, any plans?" I asked Annabeth while wiping Lance's mouth with a handkerchief. Central Park was still the same as I remembered: clean, green, and lively.

She put down the book that she was currently reading. "Well, I want to go to the bookstore after this—"

I gave her my perfect horrified look. "Again?"

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain," she said flatly. "'Sides—"

Her reply was cut off by a girl who passed by, saying to her friend, "Did you hear? Central Park is having an event today! I wonder what event it will be."

"Let's check it out!" her friend replied excitedly, and they went hastily to the direction of the Pond.

Annabeth turned to me and asked in curiosity, "Wanna check it out?"

I shrugged without care. "Maybe it's just a free ticket to a buffet or something."

Lance hugged Annabeth while saying, "Goder." He pointed to the direction where the two girls went.

She ruffled Lance's hair. "Well, if Lance wants to . . . um, shall we go, Percy?"

I grinned at Lance. "Okay."

I really hoped it was a free ticket to a buffet.

Meh. I was wrong.

000

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome!" the sound system boomed as we neared the stage beside the Pond. "Thank you for coming to participate for today's Central Park's event."

Many people were crowding around the stage. There were no chairs in sight.

The speaker, who was holding a microphone, was wearing a white bunny costume. It couldn't be a monster in disguise, could it?

"Now, for this event," the speaker said, and it was a lady's voice, "only young couples will be able to participate."

"Yes!" Annabeth exclaimed.

I turned to her with a surprised look.

"What?" she asked, shrugging.

"May I know who the young couples here are? Please raise your hand!"

Annabeth immediately raised her hand and nudged me in the ribs. I slowly did the same. When it comes to games and contests, Annabeth really gets fired up.

Lance was being giddy again. "Weeee!"

"Nice. We have a lot of participants," said the speaker, nodding in approval.

I looked around and, sure enough, many were raising their hands. I heard someone behind me say, "Let's pretend we're a couple so that we could join."

"The challenge is simple, of course. You just have to pretend that you're a family while you're doing the tasks. But . . . with a baby."

Murmurs filled the Pond.

A staff opened a curtain at the other side of the stage, and we saw there were babies inside their trolleys.

"We borrowed them from their parents just for this special event for you participants. Of course, you can't hurt and just leave them anywhere. You have to take care of them like a real parent does," the speaker explained.

"Must be their parents over there," Annabeth whispered.

I saw people waving at the babies and taking pictures at the right side of the stage.

Yep, definitely their parents.

"What about the prize?" a girl asked.

"I was about to say that, darling," said the speaker. "The prize will be a free trip to Disneyland!"

There were loud cheers from the contestants, excluding us. I mean, a free trip to Disneyland? Really? Was she kidding?

"Dishlend," Lance babbled.

"Nah. That was a joke."

"I knew it," Annabeth mumbled.

There were groans from the contestants.

"The _prizes_ will be three cute teddy bears, two music boxes, and two tickets to the Loeb Boathouse. The tickets are one-day use only, _but,_ with unlimited charges."

There were cheers again from the contestants.

"Come to the stage now, please, and pick your baby. There's more to the challenge!" The speaker looked around, saw us, and started walking toward our direction.

"What a handsome baby," she squealed in delight, stopping in front of us. "Yours?"

Annabeth and I quickly shook our heads.

"We're just babysitting for my neighbor," I explained awkwardly.

"I see. You know what? He can be the baby you want to use for this event."

"Really?" asked Annabeth.

"Yes, yes, no harm done. Good luck." And with that, the speaker hurried back to the stage.

"Bunni, kyut!" Lance said while clapping his hands.

"Is it just me, or that voice sounded oddly familiar?" Annabeth questioned me.

"Really? I didn't notice."

We were interrupted when the speaker spoke using her microphone. "Now, everyone has already chosen their baby."

A staff came to us and lent us a trolley.

"Thanks," I told her.

She smiled, gave us a map of Central Park with a paper, and then hurried off.

"Our staff just gave you a map of the park with your first clue. Those things will help you on your tasks. After you're finished with the first clue," the speaker explained, "another staff will give you the second clue, and so on—_if_ you did the right thing _and_ at the right spot. There will be five clues all in all. Meaning, you have five stages to reach the finish line. We will also give you a whistle if you need any help or if you want to give up.

"The clues are simple and easy to follow. The first pair to reach the finish line wins. This event will only be until six in the evening. Oh, and by the way," the speaker added with a sly grin, "you'll be handcuffed with your partner while doing the challenges. Well, then. That's all! Good luck and have fun! If you have any questions, just ask one of our staff."

A staff handcuffed my left wrist and Annabeth's right wrist together, then grinned. "Have fun, lovebirds."

Annabeth and I exchanged worried looks.

Could this day get any worse?

000

"Annabeth, would you please slow down?" I begged after I almost tripped headfirst.

"Percy, can't you walk any faster?" retorted Annabeth, looking at the screen of her phone. "It's already one in the afternoon! We have to win this contest, Percy!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not even interested." I was the one who was holding the map.

"Well, I am." Annabeth read the paper, "The first clue says, 'A key you'll receive where lovers of New York gather.'" She scrunched her face. "Okay, what a clue."

_Where lovers of New York gather?_

It could be restaurants, but I wasn't sure of that, so I didn't tell Annabeth my guess.

She was muttering to herself, "Of course it's just inside the park . . ."

I gazed intently at the map, then stopped walking.

Annabeth was tugged back. She was the one who was pushing the trolley. "Ow, hey!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, sorry. Wait," I said. Scanning the map with my eyes, I saw "Bow Bridge." Something in my mind snapped. "There's this movie I watched with Mom when I was ten where two lovers met at the Bow Bridge." I gasped in realization. "Annabeth, that's it! I'm sure the key is at Bow Bridge!"

She looked skeptical. Annabeth hates it when I'm the one who gets an answer. "How can you be so sure?"

"One hundred percent sure. Let's just check it out."

We were having a hard time walking to reach our destination, because of the handcuffs tied around our wrists. Annabeth and I kept bumping at each other, which Lance didn't mind. He just kept clapping his hands.

At last, we reached the bridge. A couple, also wearing the handcuffs, was already going to the other direction, which meant they were already done with the first clue.

I grinned at Annabeth. "Told ya, Wise Girl."

She stuck her tongue out, then touched the edge of the bridge. "According to a book about bridges that I read," Annabeth said, somewhat mesmerized by its beauty, "Bow Bridge was designed with Classical Greek refinement during the mid-19th century by Calvert Vaux and Jacob—"

"Anyway," I said, cutting her off, "where do we look for the key?"

Thankfully, Annabeth didn't look annoyed by what I just did. "Oh, right." She looked around, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Percy, don't you remember what the speaker said? We must act like a family! Well, whatever that means."

I ran a hand through my hair sheepishly. "Er, how?"

"You tell me." Annabeth scowled at the water below.

Lance pointed at a boat that was sailing silently on the Lake with two people in it.

The view was charming to look at: birds were flying everywhere in the sky, and the lake was calm, like after a storm.

I intertwined my left hand to Annabeth's right hand. "I wish we could do this every day."

She put her head on my shoulder. "I know, right?"

Our romantic moment was ruined when a guy wearing khaki pants and polo shirt came to us and said, "Congratulations! You may now proceed to the next stage." He gave us an envelope.

"Thanks," I said, baffled.

The guy nodded, then went to another couple. They were playing with the baby happily.

"So, some of the staff are wearing disguises to check the contestants," Annabeth realized. "Well, open it now, Percy."

I was about to open the envelope when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lance climb the bridge's edge, and then jump into the Lake's inviting waters.


	10. Annabeth and I Solve the Clues

Chapter 10: Annabeth and I Solve the Clues

Annabeth and I hurried to the side of the bridge as we saw Lance falling down rapidly to the Lake.

"Lance!" Annabeth cried in horror.

Because of adrenaline rush, I quickly extended my free hand toward Lance's direction. Before he hit the crystal clear water, a large bubble formed around him coming from the Lake, and then I ordered it to float toward us. I got the idea from this cartoon show I watched before where there was this a girl who was a water bender.

I looked around, making sure that no one saw what I did, and got the baby safely out of the bubble.

"Water bum!" Lance cried while clapping his hands, like nothing out of the ordinary happened. Annabeth and I were really shaken, but seeing everything was okay, we sighed in relief.

"Thank the gods that no other people saw this and that you acted quickly, Percy," Annabeth said. "But how in the name of Hades did he get out of his baby trolley? You didn't secure the belt, did you?"

She glared at me as I put Lance back in the trolley, fastening the belt on him.

"Hey! I am sure that I strapped the belt around him," I protested. "Maybe he's just like Hercules when he was a baby—"

But Annabeth cut me off. "That's not possible for mortals. You already know that, Percy. But I did feel someone watching and something shimmered around us after we got the second clue." She shrugged. "Maybe it's just me, though."

"I didn't notice anything," I said. "Let's not tell this to Cynthia."

"Of course, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, looking dull. "Cynthia would freak out if she knew what happened to her baby, especially if we'd explain how Lance got saved. Since when did mortals hear about a big bubble that carries a baby floating around in Central Park?"

I rolled my eyes. It was my turn to read the next clue. "'Poseidon's symbol that has hooves.' Hey, this clue is dedicated to my dad!"

Annabeth snatched the paper from me and read it. She mumbled something like, "There should also be a clue that mentions Athena" before returning the paper to me. "The Carousel."

I blinked. "What?"

She sighed in exasperation. I felt bad. "Horses, Percy. I'm not talking about real horses. And it's impossible to have bulls in this place, so it's gotta be horses. And I saw 'Carousel' written on the map. C'mon!"

And we passed again the Bethesda Fountain, which was full of people around it, sitting on the edge while talking and taking pictures.

I panted, because I was tired of walking, like, for how many miles. "Can we take a rest, Annabeth?"

"No," she nearly shouted. "I mean, we have to win, Percy. And walking isn't that tiring. We battled monsters before. _That's_ tiring."

Annabeth's face was so determined, like she was saying to me: _My plan will go perfectly and we're going to win this battle._ So I finally gave up. "Fine, fine. You win. And I think Lance also agrees that we should really win. Isn't that right, Lance?"

Lance gave a happy yell, "Win!"

I was about to reply when Annabeth suddenly hugged me and, thankfully, I found my balance. It wasn't really a proper hug because of the handcuffs, but at least I received a hug. I put my free arm on her waist and said, "You do really want the prizes, don't you?"

She smiled up at me, and my stomach did a thousand somersaults. "I saw the music box, and I really want to have it. It has owl designs all over it."

I chuckled. "Then let's hurry up to the Carousel."

000

As we neared the place, one of the participants blew a whistle and shouted, "We give up!"

Minutes later, a staff came to them, removed their handcuffs, and got the trolley with the baby in it.

"It's still the second clue, but they already gave up?" I said in bewilderment.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, they already got the third clue. Look." She pointed to the guy's hand holding a blue paper.

"What a waste."

"_Attention, participants of today's Central Park's event. Four pairs have already backed out. Only seven pairs left. Good luck!"_

Where did that come from?

Annabeth and I looked at our surroundings, searching where the source of the voice was. Then she pointed beside a tree to our left. "There."

A pair of loudspeaker megaphones mounted atop a tall pole stood there. They were all over the park.

Wait, this was weird. I was sure there weren't any of those in Central Park last week.

"That voice really does sound familiar," Annabeth said.

I just shrugged and turned to the Carousel. I could hear "It's a Small World After All" playing in the background. "Are we going to take a ride?"

"I think so," she answered, "since we have to act like a family and all. And I'm sure that a staff is currently watching us."

As we joined the line, a lady wearing a business outfit came to us, handed an envelope, and said, "Congratulations! Here is the third clue."

Annabeth and I stared at her in confusion.

"Aren't we supposed to take a ride on the Carousel?" I asked.

"Actually, you don't have to," the staff replied. "The important thing is that you got the clue right and lined up."

"Oh." Annabeth got the envelope, then the staff went back to sit on a bench. We removed ourselves from the line as she read the clue. "'A place where you can buy fresh milk.' This is _so_ not a clue at all." Annabeth folded the paper. "Is there a dairy inside Central Park, Percy?"

I remembered something about my childhood life, and beamed. Annabeth looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently asking me to elaborate.

"It's just that when I was young," I explained to her, "Mom would always buy milk at the Dairy for me. She even put blue food coloring in the milk to make me happier."

Annabeth smiled sadly. She must be remembering her past, not feeling the love of her stepmother before.

"Don't worry," I added hastily. "We'll try that some other time."

She intertwined her fingers around mine. "I can't wait, then. And why did those pair give up when the third clue was so simple? Oh, well. Let's go."

000

The Dairy had the look of a charming Victorian cottage. People were going inside to buy fresh milk, souvenirs, history books, and maps. Others were admiring it and taking pictures. Annabeth was staring at it in awe. She was about to say something when I tugged her with me inside. It was her turn to push the trolley.

Not knowing what else to do, we bought a bottle of fresh milk. Annabeth found a plastic baby bottle that was in the pouch of the trolley. She poured half of the milk inside it.

"We're doing the right thing, Percy. Why else would it be here? And Lance must be hungry by now," she said.

We exited the Dairy and sat on a bench. Annabeth got Lance out of the baby trolley to sit on her lap. She positioned the nipple of the bottle on Lance's mouth. He didn't hesitate to drink the milk while ruffling his hair.

Annabeth also drank one-fourth of the milk, then gave what was left to me. I finished drinking it in one gulp, then wiped my mouth using the back of my free hand. There were still some milk lines above her lip, making me smile mischievously to myself.

"Annabeth?"

She turned to me with wide eyes. "Hmm?"

I licked the milk lines above her lip. It happened so fast that she didn't have time to move away.

"Gross." Annabeth blushed, but she was trying hard not to laugh.

As I stuck my tongue out, a man wearing a green track suit came to us and said, "Congratulations! Here is the fourth clue. You're getting nearer. Good luck!"

The staff gave the envelope to me, and whispered, "Nice move, man. Keep it up." He winked, then jogged away.

Furrowing her brows, Annabeth queried, "What did he say?"

"Er, guy stuff. Don't ask." I told her awkwardly as I opened the envelope to read the clue. "'Find the heroic sled dog.'" I frowned. "But it's not even snowing."

Annabeth looked at me with her eyebrows raised, regaining her composure. "Gods, Percy, don't you know who that dog was?"

"Don't expect me to know everything. I'm not like you."

"I know that. It's just that that dog is still famous," answered Annabeth. "His name was Balto, a Siberian husky sled dog. Back in 1925 Nome, Alaska was stricken with a horrific diphtheria outbreak and—"

"—Isn't there a movie entitled 'Balto'?" I interrupted Annabeth, not wanting to hear the rest of her lecture. I knew it was a bad thing to do. But trust me, when you're in a hurry, you have to skip the lecture.

"Yes, there's a movie of it, but it doesn't have anything to do with the real-life events. Also, the one who led the team was Gunnar Kaasan, a son of Hermes."

Lance finished his drink, turned to us, and cried "Weee!" when I looked at the map."Balto" was written not far from the Dairy.

She pinched the baby's cheek with her free hand, then got up with a determined look on her face. "Only one clue left."

000

The three of us saw the glowing bronze of Balto's statue on a rock, outcropping near the East Drive at 67th Street. It received loving pats from countless children and adults who recalled the story of the heroic dog.

It was already afternoon, and the people, mostly children, took pictures with the statue and climbing on top of it.

The plaque below Balto had the carving of the sled team. There were words written on it:

DEDICATED TO THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF  
>THE SLED DOGS<br>THAT RELAYED ANTITOXIN SIX HUNDRED MILES OVER ROUGH ICE  
>ACROSS THE TREACHEROUS WATERS THROUGH ARCTIC BLIZZARDS FROM<br>NENANA TO THE RELIEF OF STRICKEN NOME IN THE WINTER  
>OF 1925.<p>

ENDURANCE . FIDELITY . INTELLIGENCE

"Wow," I breathed.

Thinking about it, I was awed by the courage of Hermes' son and the dogs. They would do anything to deliver the goods just to help the sick people. And I was sure that Hermes helped. That was why they survived.

When the kids went down, Lance cried and pointed to the dog.

"Maybe he wants to climb on top of the statue," Annabeth guessed.

"Looks like it."

I carried Lance with my free arm, and then Annabeth and I climbed the rock. We put him on the dog's back, which resulted for him to clap his hands. Again.

Must be his mannerism.

Annabeth patted the dog's head with a small smile on her face. "Such a brave dog."

Suddenly, a woman with blonde hair wearing shades approached us with a DSLR camera in her hands.

"Can I take a picture of you three?" she asked us with a British accent. "Just for my souvenir."

"Er, what do you say, Annabeth?" I asked, facing her.

"Maybe it's one of the staff," she whispered to me, and then said aloud to the lady, "Please do."

"Position yourselves, please."

Annabeth and I raised our hands with the handcuffs above Balto's head, spreading our free arms. Since we were at a higher angle, we had to bend down a little so that we could be included in the picture.

Lance poked his head beside the dog's head, then pointed to the camera. "Mama!"

The woman nearly dropped her camera. "Er, I'm not your mother, darling. Now, say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Annabeth and I cried.

_Click!_

After the picture taking, we got down, and the woman handed us the last envelope. "Four down and one to go. Good luck, darlings!"

Annabeth gazeded curiously at the woman, but quickly dismissed it. She gave me an I-told-you-so look and read the final clue when the lady left. "'Health, Purity, Temperance, and Peace.'" Annabeth bit her lip. "This sounds familiar. I'm sure I read it in a book about fountains last year. Think, Annabeth, think," she chanted to herself.

She was thinking deeply, but she still looked beautiful.

"Take your time, Wise Girl," I encouraged.

As I was putting Lance back in the trolley, Annabeth suddenly shouted "Oh, my gods!" that I nearly dropped him. I bet she didn't notice it, even Lance.

"Percy! I finally have the answer. Thank the gods!" she beamed. "It's one of the most well-known fountains in the world and is a neoclassical sculpture!"

I refrained myself from rolling my eyes. "Skip the lecture, Annabeth. Just tell me the answer and we'll go there, fast."

Annabeth closed her eyes, and then took a deep breath, as if she didn't hear me. "One of the largest fountains in New York City, measuring twenty-six feet high by ninety-six feet wide. Also known as 'Angel of Waters.'" She opened her eyes to look at me, beaming. "The Bethesda Fountain."

000  
>(Third person point of view)<p>

"Good thing they didn't recognize me wearing a blonde wig. But I was sure Annabeth looked at me with doubt written on her face after Lance called me 'mama.' Ah, who cares," Cynthia said to herself. "I took many pictures of them, anyway. Sally and Paul would be so proud of me." She put her hands on her hips, laughing out loud. People were looking at her like she was nuts, but she didn't care.

Then Cynthia got a walkie-talkie from her pouch, pressed a button, and put it beside her ear. "Prepare yourselves. Three pairs already got the final clue." Then she pressed the end button, and murmured, "Now if only that lady wearing a red satin dress is doing her job properly. But I'm sure I could count on her." She clasped her hands, squealing in delight. "Must wear my bunny costume again. I can't wait to see what will happen later!"


	11. Annabeth and I Make a Wish

Chapter 11: Annabeth and I Make a Wish

The sun was already setting when we reached the Bethesda Terrace. We looked down, and there it was, standing on its glory, with waters flowing down gracefully coming out from the angel's feet, then into the basin at the bottom; the Bethesda Fountain. The sight was spectacular.

"Here we are," Annabeth said, looking around. "And I think we're the first pair to arrive. Thank the gods."

Only a few people were surrounding the fountain. As we reached it, a boy was running around and bumped me. I almost lost my balance and tripped headfirst to the waters, not that I'd care to get wet.

"Sorry, mister," he called as he continued running up the stairs.

"Right," I muttered.

I glared at Annabeth when I heard her laughing beside me. "What's so funny, Wise Girl?"

"You should have seen the look on your face. But most of your expressions are always funny, anyway," she pointed out while giggling.

I rolled my eyes. "The boy just got the wrong target. So, what do we do?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Toss a coin and make a wish? I don't see what else we can do."

"Okay, let's do that," I agreed.

"Yay, wish!" Lance cried.

Annabeth and I got a drachma (we were sure it was more effective than an ordinary coin) from our pockets, and tossed it into the water. There were so many coins glittering below. We closed our eyes.

I wished that even if we faced hardships, Annabeth and I would always be with each other—in mind, soul, and heart.

I opened my eyes and felt someone squeeze my hand. I turned and found Annabeth smiling at me, which made my heart flutter. I smiled and squeezed back. A rainbow materialized from the water, but it disappeared after a second.

"What did you wish for, Percy?"

"What did you wish for, Annabeth?"

We were surprised that both of us asked at the same time, and then found ourselves laughing heartily.

"I asked first," Annabeth said.

"Nuh-uh," I retaliated.

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Gods, Percy, are we really having this argument?"

I replied to her the wisest thing to say on earth, "Duh."

She smacked my arm jokingly as we were laughing once again. Even Lance joined in while clapping his hands.

No words were needed to be spoken for what we wished for. Just by looking at each other's eyes, we already knew. That was what made us to be special for each other.

We sat at the fountain's edge, waiting for a staff to declare us the winners. After many minutes, nobody came to us.

"That's weird," I said. "Shouldn't a staff be here by now?"

"Maybe it's not making a wish," Annabeth stated.

"What, then?"

"Let's do my Plan B: Story to Lance the history of Bethesda Fountain. I still remember most of it. Maybe that will work." She smiled proudly.

Oh, gods. That'd be a horror to him, especially to _me_. I quickly turned to the baby. "Lance, whatever Annabeth says, do _not_ listen to her. You'll just waste half of your life! Just keep clapping and—"

I was cut off when something hit me on my head. "Hey!"

"That's not a nice thing to say, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth shot daggers at me.

"Telling Lance about the fountain isn't a nice thing to say, either," I defended dramatically. "Think about his future!"

She glanced at me wickedly.

Uh-oh. I knew that look. Whenever she'd do that, I already knew she had devised an evil plan for me. I gulped in terror. "Er, what are you thinking inside that complicated brain of yours?"

Annabeth still had that look plastered on her face. "Oh, I don't know, Seaweed Brain. Maybe just thinking about your future instead. How I'd love to go home now and we'll just talk about architecture all night long. And I hope it'll rain tomorrow so that—"

She didn't get to finish her finish sentence, because I suddenly stood up, causing her to flinch. It was her turn to exclaim, "Hey!"

After Annabeth said that "word," something clicked inside my not-so-complicated brain. This only happens sometimes, so please do give me a round of applause. I assure you that my plan was more brilliant that Annabeth's, which also happens sometimes.

I looked at her, victory written all over my face. "I got it, Annabeth! Let's do _my_ Plan B."

She narrowed her eyes. Annabeth hates it when I have a plan. "_You_ have a Plan B?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to you."

"You're welcome. And that would be . . . ?"

I grinned at her. "Rain!"

Annabeth looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were so far away. "Oo-kay," she drawled.

I was still grinning. Why was she so slow today? "Just stand up."

She stood up with that skeptical look on her face. "This better be good, Percy. If we're going to look like idiots, I'll—"

"Awesome, if you ask me," I interrupted her. "And don't worry about that. Brace yourself."

Annabeth's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Oh, my gods! Don't tell me—"

She was silenced when a mighty wave roared above us, and the next thing we knew, the waters were already raining down around the vicinity.

Annabeth looked up at me, and I kissed her. She was shocked, but answered back after a moment. The kiss was sweet and passionate. We were still holding hands (the handcuffed hands) while her free hand was on my neck and mine was on her waist.

I heard people shouting and scattering around, but I didn't care. We were having a romantic moment here, and this was a contest, after all, so I was sure they'd understand. The only thing the mortals wouldn't understand was what happened to the fountain.

After the "shower," Annabeth, Lance and I were the only ones left beside the fountain, soaking wet, even the trolley.

Everything was silent, except for Lance, who kept saying, "Whoosh!"

"Er, that went well_."_

Annabeth and I turned around. There stood at the front of the arch was the bunny mascot with two of the staff beside her. The one to her right pressed a button on a small gadget he was holding, and, when the speaker spoke next, it was connected to all of the pole-sized megaphones inside Central Park, making all of the people hear what she was saying. There were also three heavy speakers around them. Well, that was quick putting those things there.

"You three, please step forward," began the speaker.

We walked toward their direction. Annabeth's head was held up high in triumph while I was just pushing the trolley.

"Your names, darlings?" the speaker asked us as we reached their destination. She held her microphone in front of us.

"Annabeth Chase," Annabeth answered proudly.

"Percy Jackson," I answered lamely. "And this is Lance Smith_."_ As I stated his name, Lance cried happily while clapping his hands.

"Congratulations, Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, and Lance Smith!" she declared_. _"You are the official winners for today's contest. For your prizes, just give your address to the staff over there later and we'll send them to you via mail. You'll receive them tomorrow, except for the tickets to the Loeb Boathouse's restaurant. Here you go."

There were applauses around us as the speaker handed the tickets. Annabeth received them. "Oh, and here's another ticket for the baby, a bonus."

I also heard murmurs like, "What on earth happened to the fountain?" "Did you see the water? It was, like, it had a life on its own!" "Oh, my gosh! We're too late, Cutie Pie," and "Do you carry a lunchbox?"

The latter was so random, but I hid a grin. It was up to them to figure out what really happened to the fountain.

"Thanks," I told the speaker. "It was kind of fun."

"No problem," she responded jovially. "I'm glad you kissed. That was the last step to win. Though we don't know what happened to the fountain."

"The clues were so easy, actually," Annabeth said. "Is this the end of the easy level? And why are you wearing a costume, anyway?"

"I'm glad you found the clues easy, darling," the speaker answered. "You see, it was meant to be that way—solvable. And wearing a costume, especially a bunny, is fun, that's why."

"Oh," Annabeth and I said in unison. Was wearing a costume really that fun? But it was hot inside.

I decided not to point that out to the speaker.

Talking about clues, I just noticed something weird and surprising. I had to ask Annabeth about it later.

As the bunny unlocked our handcuffs, I looked to my left, and saw a lady wearing a red satin dress standing beside a tree. She was smiling while clapping her hands slowly, gazing at me. I found myself mesmerized. There was also something familiar about that dress and feeling.

_Snap it_, I told myself. Shaking my head, I looked at the lady again, but she wasn't there anymore.

Weird.

The speaker directed her microphone back in front of her mouth. "Well, that's all for today's Central Park's event! Thank you for participating and watching. Until next time. Tah-tah!"

Annabeth turned to me while shaking her right wrist. "I hate to admit this, Seaweed Brain, but you had a brilliant _and_ stupid idea."

I gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm glad you loved it, Wise Girl."

000

The Loeb Boathouse stood at the northeastern tip of the Lake, and housed the Boathouse Restaurant—a famous icon of Central Park.

Thanks to the towels that the staff gave us, we were now dry. Well, not really thanks to the towels. We just accepted them just not to raise suspicion. You know what I mean.

"Welcome, ma'am, sir," the waiter said as we walked inside the restaurant. "Table for three?"

"Yes, please," Annabeth said professionally, like she was always eating in a restaurant. She handed the waiter our tickets.

"Ah, the winners," the waiter mused as he reached for the tickets. "A table has already been reserved for you. Please follow me."

We followed him (me carrying Lance) and directed us to a table at the deck. There was a candle holder already lighted on the center and rose petals all over the table.

As we sat, I marveled my surroundings. With the rowboats and occasional gondola drifting by on the Lake, the view from the deck was splendid. The stars were starting to appear in the sky.

The waiter noticed my awed face, and said, "Many diners, especially couples, prefer the deck—where they can sit back and relax to watch the marvelous scenery. Well, then." He gave Annabeth and me a menu. "May I take your order?"

Annabeth scanned the menu. "I'll have prime aged sirloin steak, jumbo lump crab cake, and apple tarte tatin."

He wrote it on his paper, then turned to me. "You, sir?"

I read the list of gorgeous foods, saw the prices, and nearly fell from my seat. The prices would make me bankrupt for a year, but I quickly remembered that our tickets had unlimited charges. Thank the gods. "I'll take lemon herb crusted Colorado rack of lamb, Boathouse steak tartar, and huckleberry cheesecake." Then I froze. Not because of what I ordered, but because _it_ happened again. Annabeth noticed my stiffness and, thankfully, the waiter didn't.

He wrote my order, then looked at Lance. "Ah, madam Cyn—I mean, I recommend classic chicken noodle for him. It's our famous soup for babies. Would that be fine?"

"Yes," answered Annabeth, still looking at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

He repeated our orders for confirmation, but I barely heard what he said. "Your orders will be up in ten minutes." With that, he retrieved the menus, bowed, and left us.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Annabeth asked in concern.

"It's my first time here," I said casually, but failed. My voice cracked with uneasiness.

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't give me that answer. After you read the menu and said your order, you froze and . . ." It dawned on her. Annabeth's eyes widened in shock. She quickly got her new book about Architecture from her bag, opened a random page, then held it in front of me. "Read the first sentence."

"In the late twentieth century, a new concept was added to those included in the compass of both structure and function, the consideration of sustainability," I read and said easily. No words were jumbled in my mind.

_Wait, what?_

"Oh, my gods!" she exclaimed.

"What's wrong with me, Annabeth?" I asked her, and I almost didn't recognize my voice. "I don't know what happened! I think it started when I read the second clue. I didn't notice it. And there was this lady I saw a while ago that was looking at us after we won the contest. She was weird, if you ask me." I added, feeling that was important to mention to Annabeth.

"A lady?" she asked. "What did she look like?"

"Er, I'm not sure," I said. "Though she gives you the feeling that you're dumb, because you can't speak properly when you see her face. She was wearing a gorgeous dress."

Annabeth thought for a minute, and then her expression turned sour. She said without preamble, "Aphrodite."

Then, I felt something shimmering behind my back.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary: Annabeth stays at Percy's place and discovers a photo album full of memories.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, sadly. Though I own Lance and Cynthia Smith.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12<span>

Glitter and streamers of light swirled around us.

"Oh, great," I heard Annabeth mutter.

"Ah eh ih oh uh," I said stupidly as Aphrodite stepped out of the glitter and light, and then smiled sweetly at us. She was still wearing the red satin dress, like she's ready for a prom night or something. As expected from the goddess of love. What an entrance.

"Well, don't just sit there. Applaud!" she exclaimed. Annabeth and I didn't move. Lance clapped. I didn''t know if it's because of Aphrodite's entrance, like he could see the goddess, or just his mannerism. "Okay, never mind. Hello, Percy and Annabeth. How lovely to see you two dating inside an expensive restaurant. Makes me want to cry."

I shook myself hard. When you're facing the goddess of love, it's really hard to concentrate. For guys, I guess, since Annabeth wasn't affected and all. "Er, you don't need to do that."

"You're still cute as always, Percy." Aphrodite got a white handkerchief from her pouch, then started wiping something at the corner of her eye. "I'm wearing the same dress when we first met. No limousine for tonight, though."

So that's why it looked familiar. Good thing Ares wasn't around right now. "Were you spying on us?"

Aphrodite admired her red nails. "Not spying. Watching," she corrected. "And I stepped at the stage at last because a certain someone mentioned my name." She looked at Annabeth. "What is it, dear?"

"You did something to Percy," Annabeth stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"Ah, yes. How could I forget?" Aphrodite snapped her fingers, and I shivered. "Percy, please do read something on that horrible book again. Annabeth, you should start reading romance novels for a change."

I saw Annabeth throwing poisonous glares at Aphrodite, whom the goddess didn't mind, looked at the same page, and tried to read, but words were now floating inside my head, making it hard for me to read, again. "Hooray, my dyslexia's back."

"Well, then," Aphrodite said, "my task here is done."

"Not so fast, goddess Aphrodite," Annabeth butted in. She looked deadly serious and she was giving me the chills. "You owe us some explanations."

Aphrodite just ignored the glare she was receiving as she held up a mirror in front of her face to dab at her lipstick. There was nothing wrong with her lips, though. "Question away, dears."

"Why did you do that to Percy, removing his dyslexia and making us not to notice in the first place?" Annabeth asked.

Aphrodite put her mirror and lipstick inside her pouch, then snapped again her fingers. A chair appeared from nowhere, and she sat down beside Lance, who was busy rattling a baby toy with a dolphin on top. Where did he get that?

"Well, just to make the contest more fun for you," she explained. "I wanted you to win in the first place. At least the other spell I put on Percy wavered after you won."

"And were you the one who removed the belt on Lance?"

"Yes. It would be pretty much boring if there were only romantic scenes. There should also be some action and suspense! Don't you sweeties agree?"

"But aren't you the goddess of love?" I asked her. "Shouldn't romantic stuff already be enough for you?"

"Oh, but I really _love _some twists." Aphrodite smiled at me slyly. "I believe you already forget my promise to you, Percy."

My brows furrowed. "What promise?"

"Well, it wasn't really a promise. But you get the idea, I hope," Aphrodite said.

Lance turned to Aphrodite and cried happily. She pinched his cheek.

"Lance can see you?" Annabeth and I asked at the same time.

Aphrodite shrugged. "I'm just a normal lady for this evening, and I'm going to give that toy to him. Isn't he cute? He looks like your child!"

Annabeth and I blushed for how many times this day.

"And I have a surprise for the both of you soon. I can't wait!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Oh, and by the way, Annabeth, Percy told me before that she dreamed of you. You know, when you were, er, kidnapped."

My jaw dropped, and I could feel Annabeth staring at me. I didn't tell her about that. That would be totally embarrassing. But now . . .

"I did say that," I said while blushing, "but not in the way you think it was!"

"Ah, young love," Aphrodite mused as she checked her golden watch. "Oh, dear, I should be back at Olympus by now. Annabeth, please don't forget to work on my statue. It would be a disaster if you will not make it. Au revoir!"

"Wait!" I shouted, but Aphrodite waggled her fingers at me, winked at Annabeth, and vanished in a swirl of glitter, even the chair. I blinked and fought the urge to sneeze.

"Way to end a show," I said while looking around. Thankfully, the diners didn't notice anything weird and unbelievable.

"I hope she didn't tell you about tragic love stories," Annabeth whispered as she touched the streak of gray in her hair. "And you never told me about that dream of yours before."

Without thinking, I touched the streak of gray in my hair, too, and blushed. "Er, well, you know half-bloods. About dreams, I mean. And I think she just said something like not going to be easy or something, as far as I can remember."

I saw concern in her eyes. I held her hand, leaned forward, and brushed her lips to mine. "Remember, nothing will tear us apart."

Annabeth smiled and squeezed my hand. She was about to say something when the waiter came back carrying the foods, and then placed them on the table.

"Enjoy you dinner," he said, then zipped away.

I sliced a small piece of my food and chewed it inside my mouth. My eyes widened and tasted more of it. Gods, they made the prices worth it.

Annabeth was also enjoying her food and helped Lance to eat.

At the far side of the Lake, fireflies were already dancing and whirled above the surface.

We were talking about Annabeth's designs on Olympus. "On the eastern side, I will put a huge memento for my mom. I don't know if the other gods and goddesses will approve, though. And the foundation will be ten times stronger," she was saying.

Don't get me wrong, I was excited to see the final results, but I just couldn't understand most of it, so I nodded and replied something like "That's great!"

A moment later, a waitress appeared and gave Annabeth and I a glass of iced tea while a glass of orange juice for Lance.

"It's bottomless, so if your glass is already empty, feel free to call one of us to refill it," she said. We nodded and thanked her.

After a few minutes, I couldn't take it any longer. I burped. "Thank the gods!"

Annabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Manners, Seaweed Brain."

I stuck my tongue at her and looked at Lance. "Did you enjoy your food, Lance?"

Lance nodded. "Yum yum!"

Annabeth and I chuckled, and then she checked her phone. "Uh-oh. We should go home now, Percy. Maybe Cynthia's already waiting."

I sighed. "Time flies so fast."

000

"Darlings!" Cynthia exclaimed as she gave Annabeth and I a hug. "How wonderful it is to see you two again."

"Er, Cynthia, we just saw each other this morning," I reminded her.

"Nevertheless, darling. Well, how was your day with my Lancey?"

"It was great, Cynthia," Annabeth said. "He's such a smart child."

"Like a child of Athena," I added with a grin.

"Why, thank you. Too bad Athena's not real," Cynthia said. Annabeth and I shared knowing looks. "Anyway, where is my Lancey?"

"Mama!" Lance cried as he went to his mother. He held up his arms, and Cynthia scooped him up.

"How was your day with Annabeth and Percy, darling? Was it a bomb?" Cynthia asked Lance.

Lance cried happily. "Water whoosh boom!"

She nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes, darling. The fountain."

"Wait, you knew what happened to the Bethesda Fountain?" I asked.

Cynthia paled for a second. "I, um, you know, news travels fast here in New York. Well, would you look at the time? Lance and I better get going. Thanks much, darlings. Ta-tah!"

Annabeth and I waved as Cynthia and Lance entered the elevator. They waved back before the elevator closed.

"Is it just me or something is weird with Cynthia?" I asked Annabeth.

She smiled. "If you'll look close enough, there's nothing weird with her or what's happened. It's all been planned."

I gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean by _planned_? Oh, c'mon, Annabeth, tell me!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

Annabeth was still smiling. "Why are you so slow, Seaweed Brain?" and with that she went to my room, leaving me clueless at the front door.

000

After a few minutes I gave up and sit on the couch. Then I suddenly remembered something.

_Oh, my gods_, I mouthed and quickly fished something out from my pocket. I eyed the digital camera that I was holding.

I put my hands on my face and said some curses in Ancient Greek.

Why did I forget?

* * *

><p><strong>Review Responses:<strong>

lcrs50: You got that right!

P3rcyxAnnab3th: Thanks much and I'm glad some of the parts in my story made you laugh. :)

JazzGirl123: May the gods be with you when you take your final exams. Hihi. And I love that series also. It's like reading the Bible in a different way. I cried when Susan, you know, doesn't believe in Narnia anymore. :(

Forex: Why, thank you. :)

xxxTACOSxOFxDOOMxxx: Ah, the photo album part will come later. All I can say at the moment is that Annabeth accidentally discovers it. ;)

Klaine: I know, right? And you also got that right! And you're welcome. Finished eating your virtual cookies? XD  
>Greeks vs. Romans on the cover, I'm very sure. And yeah, she looks crap. Haha!<p>

And it tasted AMAZING: I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels something about her. Haha!

**A/N:**

So I successfully posted this before my first day of class starts. Yay, me! I'm halfway through chapter thirteen and I'm sure tomorrow will be a total crap. Wish me luck.

Who wants to watch_ Perks of Being a Wallflower_ movie? Logan Lerman and Emma Watson in one movie OMG. :3

Please do click the button below, with cheese cakes on top. :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary: Annabeth stays at Percy's place and discovers a photo album full of memories.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13<span>

**Day 4**

_Seaweed Brain . . ._

Was someone calling me? It was all blurry.

_Seaweed Brain . . ._

I felt the drowsiness overcoming me. Finally, sleep.

"PERCY!"

Someone smacked me on my head, and I suddenly woke up. I looked to my right and saw Annabeth who was looking directly at me. With that stance, I already knew she was reading what's on my mind.

We were sitting on the couch watching National Geographic, her favourite channel. Ugh.

"You're not okay," she said.

"W-what?' I shook my head to clear the drowsiness away.

"You're not okay," Annabeth repeated.

"How did you know?" I asked stupidly.

"You were dozing off. You lack sleep."

I wiped my mouth with my arm, just in case there's saliva sliding down. None. "It's just that the show is boring."

"Is this because of last night, the one you told me about?" Annabeth asked.

I gave her my best sad puppy eyes. I couldn't sleep properly last night because I was feeling the regret that was in my heart.

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Seriously, Percy, it's fine with me. We had a total of fun, anyway. You can't easily forget that."

"But—" I stopped. I couldn't say, 'But I badly need the pictures so that I could put them inside the photo album that I was supposed to give to you.' _She doesn't need to know that yet._

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "But . . . ?"

I gulped. "I mean, you know, I want Mom and Paul to see what we were doing while they were gone. So, yeah."

She eyed me, then shrugged. "Makes sense. Oh, well, we'll just have to tell them what happened and all."

"Y-yeah."

We watched in silence. Penguins were now swimming in the ocean, but I wasn't listening to the narrator. I was thinking of when to give my present to Annabeth. On her first day of school? Tomorrow?

My thoughts were interrupted when Annabeth suddenly asked, "Percy?"

I turned to her. "Hmm?"

"When will Paul and your mom be back?"

"Beats me. Maybe two days after or they will still extend their vacation," I replied.

She got up, then walked to the television and wiped her finger on top of it. "I think we should help your mom a bit."

I followed her. "What do you mean?"

"We should clean your place. Dusts and cobwebs are everywhere, and I'm sure that cleaning your apartment will take days, but, hey, we don't have any plans for today. And it's still 1:30 p.m.. Are you up for it, Seaweed Brain?" she added, grinning.

I grinned back. "Cleaning the stables is so much harder, Wise Girl."

After a few minutes we finished preparing the cleaning equipment, then put them in the kitchen.

Annabeth got a cloth and handed me a mop. "First stop is the kitchen. I'll take care of the cabinets. Yours is the floor. Got that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, madam."

I heard Annabeth mutter 'Seaweed Brain' before turning to her cleaning area.

I looked at the mop that I was holding, and suddenly got a bright idea. I checked to see what was Annabeth currently doing, her back to me. She was wiping canned goods while on a mini steel ladder.

I looked up, extended my hand to the sprinkler system, and concentrated. In a few seconds, water was already everywhere in the kitchen.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted and shot daggers at me. Both of us were now soaking wet. Actually, I let myself got wet.

I smiled at her innocently. "Who said that cleaning this place could take days?"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain! Turn off the sprinklers this instant!" she demanded.

"After five minutes," I replied casually.

I could see that Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Cheater," she said.

"Hey, it's not my fault I have this kind of power. I should use it for the good."

Annabeth giggled. "Whatever."

She was starting to come down when her foot slipped.

I instantly reacted to catch her before she hit the floor. "Annabeth!"

I caught her by the waist. Unfortunately, I slipped too, so both of us fell on the floor.

"Oww," Annabeth and I said in unison. She was on top of me. My poor, poor head.

"Percy, are you fine?" she asked.

I opened my eyes to see her face full of concern. She looked so great, even with her hair drenched. My heart skipped a beat. "I-I think so."

I was totally surprised by what Annabeth did next: she kissed me. I kissed her back and felt the pain in my head disappearing. Was it because of the kiss or the water? Ah, who cares?

Annabeth pulled away, and I pouted, wanting her to kiss me again. "Isn't revenge sweeter?"

I caressed her face. "Hmm?"

"Don't you remember what you did yesterday?"

Oh, right. I kissed her at the Bethesda Fountain while water was raining down on us. I grinned. "Such a wise move, Wise Girl."

She stuck her tongue. "Of course, I'm a child of Athena. And besides, I think this is our new routine; kissing while there's water falling on us."

Annabeth also gave me a peck on the lips.

000

Next place to clean: the bathroom and living room.

The kitchen's already been dried off, and also me and Annabeth.

I told Annabeth that I would be the one who would clean the bathroom and would just catch up to help her. She agreed.

I used my special talent to clean the bathroom. After five minutes, it was already fresh-looking.

I went back to the living room to help Annabeth.

Cleaning the biggest part in our apartment was kinda tiring, Wipe here, wipe there, and wipe everywhere.

It was almost 6:30 p.m. when we finished cleaning everything in the living room.

Annabeth and I sat on the couch, and sighed in relief.

"One room to go," she said.

"Can't we just leave it for tomorrow?" I complained.

Annabeth gave me 'the look', and I quickly shut my mouth.

"Well," she said after a minute, "we could clean your room tomorrow."

My stomach grumbled in agreement.

She laughed. "And besides, a certain someone is already hungry. Let's have dinner at McDonald's. My treat."

I kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

000

**Day 5**

It was already 9:00 a.m. when we started cleaning my bedroom. Annabeth said my room was very dusty.

"But Mom just cleaned my room last week," I informed her.

"Last week, Percy," Annabeth replied. "_Last week_. You should not depend on Ms. Jackson all the time."

"But Mom loves to clean my room."

Before she could reply, someone rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it," I said to save myself from another lecture of Annabeth.

I went to answer the door and opened it to see a mailman grinning at me, his face half-covered by the hat. Why he was grinning was beyond me. Maybe he was just a happy-go-lucky mailman.

"Delivery for Perseus Jackson," he said jovially.

I didn't know what he was talking about at first, and then I remembered yesterday. "Oh, the prizes."

"Sign here, please." He handed me an electronic signature pad and a stylus.

I was about to write my signature on the electronic pad when I heard some hissing. Why did this seem familiar?

I looked again at the stylus, and saw two tiny green snakes wriggling on it.

"George? Martha?" I asked, surprised.

_Hey, Percy. Have you got me a rat? _George asked.

_This is not the time to ask for a rat, George,_ Martha chided.

I faced the mailman who already removed his hat, showing his salt-and-pepper hair, and bowed in front of him. "H-Hermes."

"No need for formalities, Percy. And it's nice to see you again," Hermes said. "Well, go ahead and sign it up."

I signed and handed back the pad and stylus. "I wasn't expecting you would be the one to deliver the package."

Hermes' eyes were beaming. "Actually, Aphrodite asked me to deliver it to you personally. She also said that there's a bonus inside."

"So, where is the package?"

He pointed to the mini table at the living room, and then a medium-sized box suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"There you go," Hermes said, then checked his iPhone. "Well, I couldn't stay long. I have to go now, Percy. More deliveries to attend. Say hi to Annabeth for me, will you?"

I smiled my thanks. "Yeah, sure."

Hermes winked. George and Martha also said their good-byes to me.

He closed the door and a brilliant flash erupted on the door line. I opened it again to see that the god of travel was already not in front of our door step. What's with the gods and goddesses' exit nowadays?

I rushed to my room to tell Annabeth the good news.

"Hey, Annabeth, the prizes had alre—" I stopped mid-sentence when I saw what she was holding: a photo album.

No, scratch that.

THE photo album.

* * *

><p><strong>Review Responses:<strong>

The L0st One: I just read your latest PM (which was June 25). So sorry I read it late. I think the last time I log-in on FanFiction was after I sent my PM. Gotta read your fic and I'll give a review. ;)

ReadingGurl07, Ninjasaremylife, and Zo Silver: Here's the latest chapter. Sorry I posted it too late.

mytruedream: Thanks. And, yes, I'm gonna finish this story. Though I'll be slow at updating due to school.

HarryPotterPJODoctorWho: Thanks!

JazzGirl123: Ahaha! Typical Aphrodite, I guess. Sorry if the story's getting confusing, though. And yeah, you shall watch Perks of Being a Wallflower.

GothicPunk123: I think updating fast will not be possible for me at the moment since I'm busy with school. But please do bear with me. And I already read your story (I hope you read my review) but haven't read the latest chapters yet. I'll catch up when I have the time, though. :)

AnnyJackson19: I know, right? :D

lcrs50: Truth be told, I'm not sure if they are really doing that in Central Park, having contests and such. I just made that up. But, hey, at least you have a national forest there. That's cool.

Klaine: I'm glad you liked the virtual cookies. XD

LaughLoverCrystal: Yeah, he forgot. Well, Annabeth's like Sherlock Holmes for me. I dunno, I just started watching Sherlock last three months ago, and I suddenly got that idea. Just a glace and she knows it, most of the time. Yeah, I'm weird. XD

daughterofAthena: You got a hint on this chapter. ;)

Ledianity: My bad for the cliche. Hehe. Your English is fine, by the way. And sorry I updated just now.

bea/BEA: Thanks for your reviews! And I'm glad you reread it many times. :)

**A/N:**

Sorry I just updated this story. School's keeping me busy. I can't update fast at the moment, but I hope you'll bear with me. The story is almost coming to an end. Did anyone notice the photo album scene is coming up? Hihi. Thanks for all your support!

Please do click the button below, with white cream on top. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary: Annabeth stays at Percy's place and discovers a photo album full of memories.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.** **Though I own Lance and Cynthia Smith.**

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><p><span>Chapter 14<span>

Time seemed to freeze, and my lungs even stopped functioning, or was I just over reacting?

It was like I was seeing Annabeth holding a Greek Fire. The photo album was medium-sized and color blue.

I shouted "No!" before she could flip the album open.

Annabeth looked sharply at me. "Percy, what in Hades is wrong with you?"

I closed my eyes to breathe normally. "Where did you find that?" I knew where I put it last, but I was just making sure.

"Under your bed," Annabeth said. "I was about to mop the floor and checked under the bed if some things were lying there, and I just found this one."

"Oh." I slapped my forehead. I forgot to put it inside my drawer. Gods, why was I being forgetful these days. Oh, well. Time to lay down the cards.

"Look," Annabeth said, "if this is confidential, I will not look inside, okay? I bet that the pictures in this album are your baby pictures, though."

I laughed. "Er, not quite close." I held her hand, and we sat down on the edge of my bed. "Feel free to check it out. It's yours, anyway."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You were telling me not to open it. Why the sudden change of heart, Seaweed Brain? "

I just grinned. "Just open it, Wise Girl"

She opened the album and read, "To Wise Girl. From Seaweed Brain." Annabeth looked at me, clearly surprised.

"Go on," I encouraged her.

She turned to the next page, and gasped. There was a caption below a photo, _Annabeth and I sitting on the sands of Long Island beach._

We were smiling for the camera, and Annabeth's face was so cute shining under the moonlight.

"I remember this," Annabeth said. "We took this after watching the fireworks."

"Yeah. Good times," I replied with a wistful smile plastered on my face.

We started taking pictures to remember the best moments, but every day with Annabeth was my best moment.

Then there was me and Annabeth at the Amphitheatre, at Zeus' Fist, the Climbing Wall, the Canoe Lake, then at the Big House with Grover and Chiron. There were also pictures of us with the other campers, even Argus and the dragon Peleus. Every picture had a caption and date of when the picture was taken below.

The first ten pages were our pictures from Camp Half-Blood. We couldn't wait to go back there again.

The next page was when we were at the park, the time when there was a blackout.

"So that's why you were so desperate," Annabeth mused. "But why, Percy? It's not even my birthday, or our first anniversary, or even our first monthsary. Er, advance?"

I sheepishly ran my hand through my hair. "I was to give it you in surprise, but you found it accidentally. I just wanted to give you something for what you did to me for all these years. I'm very thankful that you came in to my life, and I hope that whatever trials we will face, we will not break—"

I didn't get to finish what I was saying as Annabeth pressed her lips to mine. I kissed her back.

She pulled away after a moment. "I'm also thankful, Percy, and I appreciate the gift so much. I wasn't even expecting this, so you indeed surprised me."

I grinned. "I'm glad you were surprised."

Annabeth squeezed my hand. "And don't worry, we will always be together."

"Always." I squeezed back and kissed her again.

We were reminiscing our adventures before for like an hour. Trust me, if you're with the person you love, you cherish every second of it.

At the last page there was a picture of Annabeth sleeping peacefully with the caption _Sleeping Beauty._

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You sneaker."

I smirked. "What? I was looking for you that afternoon and found you in your cabin sleeping. You weren't even wearing your Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. You looked beautiful when you're asleep, so yeah. But you always look beautiful."

Annabeth studied the picture. "You're right. I also do look beautiful when I'm asleep."

"Sorry, I was just joking."

She stuck her tongue and laughed. "Shut up."

Annabeth closed the album. "Good thing you didn't write a letter. I'm not a fan of letters."

I laughed. "Same here."

She poked me on the chest. "But I can't believe that I bought your story about the pictures, the 'its for my mom' line. Liar."

I raised my hands in defense. "Hey, I was just protecting my real reason. And besides, you know the truth now."

Annabeth rolled her eyes with a smile. "Whatever, Seaweed Brain. By the way, what were you about to say a while ago?"

"Oh, right. Hermes delivered the prizes already. It's in the living room," I said. "And, er, he said that there's a bonus or something inside the package."

She shrugged. "Only one way to find out what that is."

We went to the living room, opened the package, and rummaged through the mini Styrofoam balls to check the contents. Annabeth's eyes brightened when she held the music box with owl carvings on each side, and opened it. A sweet melody came out of the box, of course. It even seemed familiar to me.

"It's Yiruma's River Flows in You," she said.

I held a teddy bear with a 'My First Teddy' engraved on its left foot. Well, this was indeed my first teddy bear. "Thank the gods. This one's color blue. Mine."

Annabeth held the other teddy bear. "Obviously that's yours. Don't tell me you want the pink one."

"No."

"This is also cute."

"That's for girls."

Annabeth rummaged again inside the box. "Where is the bo—oh."

She got a transparent CD case with a color white CD inside. There wasn't any indication to what the CD contained.

"Okay," I said, perplexed.

We turned the television on. Annabeth was about to put the CD inside the player when the front door suddenly opened, then two familiar faces appeared in the living room.

"Mom? Paul?" I asked in disbelief. I thought they were going to extend their vacation.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Mom exclaimed and gave each of us a hug.

"Hi, Ms. Jackson and Paul,"Annabeth greeted.

"How were your days?" Paul asked while carrying their luggage to their room.

"Great and fun," she answered, grinning. "Yours?"

"We'll answer that later. Percy, you look like you're not happy to see us," Mom said.

I closed my mouth. "Yes. I mean, no. I'm just surprised, Mom. I wasn't expecting you two would be home this soon."

"Paul and I weren't expecting, either. But Cynthia called yesterday and said that we should go home right away because . . . Er, are we disturbing you two?"

Annabeth and I blushed. "Of course not, Ms. Jackson," she said. "We were just about to watch something. We don't know what movie is this, though." She held the CD for my mom to see.

Paul came back to the living room and saw the CD. "Could that be . . . ?"

Mom suddenly squealed, snatched the CD from Annabeth's hand, and put it inside the player. Gods, what's happening today?

"Um, Ms. Jackson?" Annabeth asked, then turned to me with a confused look.

I shook my head and shrugged. I also had no idea.

"We all should watch this," Mom said jovially.

"You know what movie is that, Mom?" I asked as we took a seat on the couch.

"Of course! Cynthia told me about this, but that's not a movie. I can't wait!"

Paul giggled. Wait, Paul giggled. This was getting weirder.

"Cynthia?" I asked with raised eyebrows. "What's she got to do—"

Mom shushed me that I suddenly went silent mode.

Then, it started.

Annabeth and I saw ourselves with Lance in the video at the front stage near the Lake of Central Park. We heard the speaker talking, and then many raised their hands, including us.

Oh my gods! This video was the contest at Central Park! And the most embarrassing part was that Annabeth, Lance, and I were the stars of the show, since the cameraman always followed us.

I groaned and put my hands on my face. I took a peek to my left where Annabeth was seated, and saw that she was blushing furiously. Mom kept squealing, then gasped when Lance almost hit the waters. I didn't bother to know Paul's reaction since he already knew the secret.

Mom squealed again when I licked the milk lines near Annabeth's lips, and when we kissed at the Bethesda Fountain.

I wanted to roll on the floor for how many times, but resisted. I didn't know what was running on Annabeth's mind. Maybe something more dangerous, I guessed.

Then, we were announced as winners. Lance clapped his hands happily, and the cameraman revealed himself before the video ended.

I was wrong. It was a camerawoman, and it was none other than the goddess of love herself: Aphrodite.

"Hope you enjoyed watching this priceless video, Percy and Annabeth, and to whomever else is watching," the goddess said with dignity. "There's still something inside the package, if you haven't checked it yet. Cynthia, thank you! I had so much fun working with you. Hope we'll get to do this again. Well, then, this is Aphrodite Hawkins. Au revoir!"

"So, Aphrodite was behind the video," Annabeth said, arms crossed as Paul turned off the television.

"I was right about goddess Aphrodite being with her," Mom said. "Let's watch it again!"

Paul was trying hard not to laugh. "I agree, Sally."

I blushed. "I guess you two should watch it again later. I want to ask something first."

All eyes looked at me.

"Why was Cynthia involved?"

Mom laughed. "Oh, Percy, actually, Cynthia planned the event at Central Park, and then I agreed. I was praying that you would win, and it came true. I'm so proud of you both." Mom hugged us, again.

"Thanks, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth said when Mom released us from the hug. "But the clues were so simple like they weren't clues at all."

"Thanks too, Mom," I said. "But how did Cynthia do that?"

"Because, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said before Mom could reply, "she is the Supervisor of Central Park."

I blinked. "How did you know?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Remember when Cynthia retrieved Lance? She still wore her I.D. and I saw what was typed on it. I bet she forgot about it because of hurry. And then the speaker and even the lady who took the picture of us at Balto's statue, it was her. The voice and the sunglasses she wore, I saw that there was a scratch on the side of it, and that evening, I noticed the same shades inside her bag, which was half-open. So yeah, go figure. Judging from your face, Seaweed Brain, you didn't notice any of that stuff."

It was my turn to roll eyes. "Thanks for stating the obvious facts, Sherlock Holmes."

She punched me on the arm playfully. "Get out of here! And just to let you know, Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, was a child of Athena."

"Say," Paul interrupted, "Sally said that was Aphrodite. Er, didn't she say something about another bonus inside the box?"

"Oh, right." Annabeth rummaged again inside the box. She held an envelope and opened it.

She gasped. "These are the pictures from Central Park's event, with two copies each."

My eyes brightened. "I bet that's for you and me."

"Let us see," Mom said.

We huddled together and checked out the pictures. I was so glad that there were pictures of us when we were at Central Park. Now, Annabeth could add it to her album since there were still enough blank pages left.

The picture of me, Annabeth, and Lance on Balto's statue was also included.

Mom wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm so happy this has happened. Well," she sniffed, "Paul and I still need to do some grocery shopping. And I thank you two for cleaning the apartment. Yes, Percy, I noticed, of course."

"No problem, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth replied.

"Ah, yes. Before I forget," Mom said, "we also took some pictures while we were at the Atlantic. We'll show it to you later. And, Annabeth, dear, please do stay for another night. I would love to talk to you all afternoon."

Annabeth smiled. "It would be an honor, Ms. Jackson."

I grinned. "We can't wait to see your pictures."

000

After dinner, Annabeth and I were talking about the Central Park's event in my room. We finished cleaning my room before 3:00 p.m., then Annabeth and Mom did girly talk while flipping through the pictures of Paul and her at the Atlantic. Paul mumbled something about girls, and I agreed.

The Atlantic was great. I wished I could go there with Annabeth someday.

"One thing's for sure," Annabeth was saying, "I had a lot of fun at Central Park, and I can't wait to see Cynthia again. To thank her, I guess. I hope we can see her tomorrow and play with Lance. I miss him already."

"Me, too," I said. "And I'm thankful to Cynthia for taking pictures of us at the park. I was saved."

Annabeth laughed. "I know, right? That's because you're such a seaweed brain."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Wise Girl."

She held the album. "I already put my share of the pictures inside. Where's yours?"

"I gave it to Mom for safekeeping. I'm sure she will a buy a new photo album for the pictures," I said.

Annabeth looked at me with her strikingly, beautiful gray eyes. Butterflies were swarming in my stomach. "A photo album is really a collector of memories that you could cherish through the years. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift, Percy."

I gave her a passionate kiss, then smiled. "I thank you more, Annabeth."

That night, Annabeth was sleeping while hugging the photo album with a joyful smile.

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><p><strong>Review Responses:<strong>

JazzGirl123: Glad that you're okay with it. Haha! :D

Th3-Dragon-Lord, Percabeth rocks 4 ever, Forex, and RaineSmith08: And here's the final chapter. Hope you like it :)

AnnyJackson19: Yep. :D

Greeks vs Greeks: I kinda like cliffhangers. Sorry about that. XD

dandelion379: Hey, it's all right. Same here. I'm also busy with school again and don't have time to read other fics at the moment. I'm glad you loved the sprinkler system part. Haha! Of course the second book is also great. Though I bet you already finished reading it, even Mockingjay. XD

Klaine: And, yeah, it's already how many weeks. Yay that you also loved the sprinkler system part. :D

**A/N:**

Huzzah! Banzai for me! Haha! So yeah, folks, this is the final chapter of "The Photo Album". Didn't see that coming? Please don't kill me for updating so late. I'm so sorry. Even when it was our semester break, I had writer's block, so I only wrote half of the chapter. To overcome the block, I read books and watched movies to help my brain become motivated.

I read The Death Cure (3rd book of the Maze Runner series) and The Kill Order (prequel for The Maze Runner series). It's such a great series, so I highly suggest that you read it. Though reading The Death Cure was like reading Mockingjay. That's all I can say.

Then, I also read I Am Number Four, The Demigod Diaries, and The Mark of Athena. MoA was really awesome! Goodness! I can't wait for next year for the fourth book. It was such a rickhanger. But I still love Rick Trolldan. XD

I'm also done with Beyonders: A World Without Heroes, and currently reading the second book of the trilogy, The Seeds of Rebellion. I'm loving the series. As expected from Brandon Mull. I recommend it also, even his Fablehaven series. They're great fantasy books.

To know my Plan-To-Read List, just check my Shelfari account. You can see the link at my profile.

There are also some pictures for this chapter (the photo album, the teddy bears, and Percy's picture of Annabeth sleeping). Just go to my profile to see them. :)

I also added a book cover, if you haven't noticed.

Readers, thank you so much for reading my fic, especially to the ones who gave a review, who favorited, and followed this story. You guys encouraged me to continue and finish this fic. I also thank to the ones who added me to their Favorite Authors and Author Alert. I have a favor to ask you. Please share my fic to your friends. I would really appreciate it. Once again, thank you all and God bless! :D

Please do click the button below, with blue chocolate chip cookies on top. :)

**/ / Revised "The Photo Album" on August 05, 2013.**


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